What happens when the pasta runs out?
So, we’ve all got some extra spaghetti, penne, fusilli and macaroni because you never know right? Some of us acted too late though, and when we got to the pasta isle - it was gone. All of it. Even the spinach gnocchi. But that stuff is staying in the larder till the school’s next harvest festival food hamper amiright? Funny thing is, we keep going back to the pasta isle (only when essential though - do you get me?) to check when it’s back. Bad news, it’s still not there. Sad face.
But what did we have for dinner before pasta? A whole bunch of stuff that != pasta. Even the most basic supermarket or corner shop has a huge array of options available for dinner. Some obvious combinations, some less obvious. Some will be amazing. Some less so. But the important thing is - there are loads of options!
It got me thinking about change and how we deal with it. Years (and years..) ago I read a book called ‘who moved my cheese’ (it’s amazing, buy it now) which is all about how we (well, actually a group of mice called Sniff, Scurry, Hem and Haw) cope with change and adapt to it.
A couple of important points that are made;
“When change happens, the first thing to realise is that how you react is your choice. The biggest barrier to change is inside you.
The second thing to realise is that the best way to deal with change is to keep things simple, be flexible and move quickly. When change comes along simply change with it.”
To keep fighting against change or to pretend it isn’t happening is both tiresome and unproductive. I know we all love routines and predictability (it would be no fun if someone came into your house overnight and moved your socks and pants to a different location every night - right?) - but it’s also inevitable that change will happen.
> Change is inevitable
> Pain is temporary
> Hard work is mandatory
(not sure if this is a mash-up of some buddhist wisdom - sorry sky-dudes)
Personally, I love change - I love the thrill of the new and the anticipation of seeing something I’ve never seen before. It’s probably why I take a rock’n’roll approach to business management. With a detailed plan of every anticipated step and approach, there’s no place for improvisation and the potential for the new.
I’ve been watching a lot of Prison Break on Netflix these past couple of weeks (Netflix and Zoom and major winners in our current predicament!) and I’m always impressed with the main character’s ability to adapt to change. (I’m not going to spoiler-alert anything here). He’s got a pretty detailed plan, but he’s always got a plan b) c) d) and )x. He’s not phased by change or even slowed down by it. There’s a ‘oh, the cheese isn’t there… hmmm… I’ll go over here then’ attitude that always keeps him moving towards his directional goal (mixed metaphors and mixed up stories / formats - yeah!).
So, what I’m saying is - yep, things have changed and you can’t have pasta for dinner. But that’s okay, you can have pretty much anything else. I am pretty sure that:
The number of meals with pasta < the number of meals without pasta
If you focus on what has changed rather than what has stayed the same, or what you have lost rather than gained - you will be forever running back to the pasta isle shouting ‘who moved my parmesan!?’ and you will get angry, frustrated and hungry.
And no matter what happens, don’t put dairy-free sheese on your dinner, that stuff is wrong.
Stay home, protect our NHS, save lives.
