Quotes About Change, Resilience, and Transition

Nancy Margulies, theworldcafe.com

“The primary way to prepare for the unknown is to attend to the quality of our relationships, to how well we know and trust one another. It is possible to prepare for the future without knowing what it will be.”

Margaret Wheatley, “When Change Is Out of Our Control”

“Communities are places or entities where each member can give something, where they can contribute something that they feel especially able to give, something they are good at. The gift from each member is valued by the whole community and all gifts are unique and individual. The gift that the community gives back to each member is that of a role and a connection.”

—Ed Margason

“We are faced with having to learn again about interdependency and the need for rootedness after several centuries of having systematically—and proudly— dismantled our roots, ties, and traditions. We had grown so tall we thought we could afford to cut the roots that held us down, only to discover that the tallest trees need the most elaborate roots of all.”

—Paul L. Wachtel

"What we give our attention to – stays with us.  What we let go of – will let go of us."

—Cat Forsley

"Getting through transition is not easy, but unlike the change-wall, transition represents a path to follow. To change your attention away from the change-barrier and toward the transition-path, you need to start where the transition itself starts: with letting go of the inner connections you had to the way things were. The question that always helps you to shift your focus from the change to the transition is, 'What is it time for me to let go of?'"

—William Bridges

"It (abundance) is created when we have the sense to choose community, to come together to celebrate and share our common store. Whether the scarce resource is money or love or power or words, the true law of life is that we generate more of whatever seems scarce by trusting its supply and passing it around."

—Parker Palmer

"You may have a fresh start at any moment you choose, for this thing that we call 'failure' is not the falling down, but the staying down."

—Mary Pickford

“An organization should, by definition, function organically. This means that its purposes should determine its structure, rather than the other way around. It should function as a community rather than a hierarchy and offer autonomy to its members, along with tests, opportunities, and rewards, because ultimately an organization is merely the means, not the end.”

—Warren Bennis

“We have places of fear inside us, but we have other places as well—places with names like trust and hope and faith. We can choose to lead from one of those places, to stand on ground that is not riddled with fault lines of fear, to move towards others from a place of promise instead of anxiety. As we stand in one of those places, fear may remain close at hand and our spirits may still tremble. But now we stand on ground that will support us, ground from which we can lead others toward a trustworthy, more hopeful, more faithful way of being in the world.”

—Parker Palmer

“Most of what we do in communities and organizations focuses us on our individual needs. We attend a conference or meeting for our own purposes, for ‘what I can get out of this.’ Conversation is different. Although we each benefit individually from good conversation, we also discover we were never as separate as we thought. Good conversation connects us at a deeper level. As we share our human experiences, we rediscover a sense of unity. We remember we are part of a greater whole. And as an added joy, we also discover our collective wisdom. We suddenly see how wise we can be together.

—Margaret Wheatley

“When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits, I dreamed of changing the world. As I grew older and wiser, I discovered the world would not change, so I shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change only my country. But, it too seemed immovable. As I grew into my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt, I settled for changing only family, those closest to me, but alas, they would have none of it. And now as I lie on my deathbed, I suddenly realize, if I had only changed myself first, then by example I would have changed my family. From their inspiration and encouragement, I would have then been able to better my country, and who knows,

I may even have changed the world.”

— Words of an Anglican Bishop found inscribed on his tomb in the Westminster Abbey