ADAPTING IS NOT WEAKNESS

BY:- PRATHAM GOLCHA

How many of us think that changing or molding ourselves to a situation that is beyond our control is brave and valiant? Moreover, how many of us are even aware of the power of adaptation? Adaptation is essential in order to survive and move ahead in the world. The ability to adapt to people, situations and surroundings affords people a greater opportunity to get what they want and what they need. Every sphere and facet of life poses challenges to us, and nowadays, a lot of people are falling prey to stress and anxiety. In order to cross these hurdles in life, whether major or minor, we need to adapt. So, in that sense, what does adapting actually mean? It simply means adjusting or acclimatizing to new conditions. Most of the questions posed by the challenges that we encounter in our daily lives can be answered through adapting to the situation, or in other words being flexible.

The millennials nowadays fail to regard this as crucial or vital. It helps a person reshape boundaries and be more open to change. Personalities who always like to maintain their status quo and are rigid in their behaviors may find it extremely difficult to cope with taxing situations. In today’s context, it has become all-the-more necessary to equip oneself with this crucial thing. According to the University of Kent’s Careers and Employability Service, employers want team members who can adapt “to changing circumstances and environments, embrace new ideas, who are enterprising, resourceful and adaptable”. Adaptability is not difficult, though ego issues of a person may play spoilsport. Once an individual gets into the groove and gets the hang of it, it becomes easier to tackle challenges and they no more feel like a burden, thereby reducing your daily dose of stress and tension. Hence, workplaces are looking for people with a positive mindset who are open to new changes and have problem-solving prowess in their arsenal. If we underestimate the power of adaptation, we might find ourselves at the receiving end, more often than not, along with a plethora of problems and cracking under pressure and crunch situations. You ought to adjust and adapt to the situation, and not vice-versa for you are a living being, not the situation! It is indeed, a new way of thinking, a new way of living, clutching on to possibilities, and most significantly, moving on happily in life. Though, let me make it amply clear that adjusting is a choice, which is very subjective, yet indispensable. There are en number of ways by which one can acquire this strength. Knowing one’s own self is cardinal for if you yourself don’t know what’s right for you, then who will? A thorough introspection is needed and self-talk is highly essential. Prioritizing things is quintessential. It is very easy to point a finger at someone as the cause of the problem or to avoid the problem altogether. Adapting enables you to counter these. Here, flexibility is the key as it helps to push one’s boundaries and break the shackles in one’s life. A quantitative balance between the two opposite sides is consequential. Being open to changes enables an individual to adjust better with surroundings, people and situations. The correct mindset, clear thinking and right frame of mind are needed to achieve this. Communication is tantamount to the thinking process. One ought to communicate to family members and friends and speak out, share the difficulties. Mounting pressure on oneself would further worsen the situation. Adaptability shall never be seen as a weakness; rather it is the strength that one possesses throughout one’s lifetime. People may consider you weak, in the sense when you adapt people may undermine your ego or consider you less important. But from the person’s own perspective, that is what is emboldening him. We all must acquire adaptability as much and as soon as we can and foster a better life for ourselves.