Change

I changed some light bulbs last night. That may not seem like a very wonderful thing, but to me, it’s the chore I loathe the most. For weeks now, I’ve been living in darkness, trying to find the motivation to change those darn bulbs. Yesterday, I boldly walked into the hardware store and when the clerk asked if he could help me find something, I handed him my gladware container filled with various odd sized light bulbs. He inspected them carefully and helped me find the right size. Before I attempted the chore, I fessed to friends that I would finally be rejoining the world of electricity and finally changing the bulbs. I think a few of them may have cheered at this small, but memorable feat for me. Or perhaps they were cheering that the mood lighting of candles would no longer be mandatory when I host them.

So last night there I was, I bravely removed the glass dome, hands shaking as I imagined the dome crashing to the floor, sending shards of glass everywhere. I pictured the delicate bulbs shattered at my ungentle touch. Fortunately, no glass broke. And when I tested the first set of new light bulbs on my chandelier, the light glistened reflecting off of everything. Then, onto my next light, I realized, two of the four new bulbs didn’t work. I hadn't notice at first, but once I realized the difficulty, I could not stop staring. Isn’t that just like life, I thought, you finally muster up the courage to tackle something and it isn’t at all like you pictured it?

I suppose I’ll have to call an electrician because the wiring is faulty or something. If I had known that, I may have never bought the bulbs in the first place. Or at the very least, I would have asked him to change them. The teacher in me lectures through this idea, at least I had the opportunity to step up and try it. But, the failed student in me is sad that my project failed to illuminate.

How we deal with our fear of change says a lot about our integrity as leaders. We can choose to live in darkness, never thinking to change the light bulb. We can acknowledge the burnt out lights, maybe even buy new bulbs, but never muster the courage to change. Or, we can climb the step ladder, remove the dead bulb and fill it with a fresh new bulb that shines brightly. Not every change will take, we run into problems and technical issues along the way. But, taking the step towards a brighter tomorrow is never the wrong answer. Attempting to change the bulb is better than living in darkness any day.