From the epilogue of, From Pebbles To Pathways:

There is a great saying, “Change is inevitable, growth is optional.” Another is, “Change is inevitable, growth is intentional.” There is little question as to whether change happens or not. Here are the real questions: what quality and at what level of awareness we will change, and when and at what velocity will it happen? With Buckminster Fuller’s analogy of the Trim Tab*, I interject that the speed and success of directional change is directly dependent on the stability of the ship. This is where emotional and spiritual work pays off.

In his compelling book, The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, Malcolm Gladwell defines a tipping point in sociological terms: “the moment of critical mass, the threshold, the boiling point.” In his “The green tipping point” article in Time Magazine, Bryan Walsh describes tipping points as “the levels at which the momentum for change becomes unstoppable”.

A tipping point is related to a trim tab, and both can also be applied to the realms of inner change and creation. A tipping point (and the experiences and energy that leads up to it) is what prompts the directional shift of the trim tab. It is fascinating, and I think valuable, to take note of our tipping points(s), both for inner reflection and plotting our changes of course.

With regards to creation—bringing a new vision or idea into being, there may be many thoughts and events that lead to the moment of critical mass where creation can occur, yet the thing that prompts the shift of the trim tab is taking a risk and stepping out of the known, into the unknown.

*Trim Tab – the tiny, trailing part of the ship’s rudder, which with a low amount of pressure, changes the direction of the ship. Once the rudder turns, the ship, no matter its size, makes a change in direction.

This blog, and all my writings, are explorations into the wondrous, deep, and ever-evolving process of living, loving and growing. My intention with Pebbles for Thought, is to empower and uplift, one post at a time.