What’s It All About?

“You could not step twice into the same river; for other waters are ever flowing on to you.”
- Heraclitus, On the Universe

Never the Same River Twice is an odd name for a blog. It breaks all the rules for website naming. It’s a long URL, it references a somewhat obscure idea, and it’s badly translated from the Greek.

For those who are unfamiliar with the pre-Socratic philosophers, Heraclitus is most famous for his theory of constant change. Essentially, he believed that all matter is constantly being transformed at such a fast rate that if you step into a river and step out again, by the time you are able to put your foot into the river again it will not be the same. When I think about the rate that the world seems to be changing, it seems like a very modern thought.

To me, Never the Same River Twice is an abbreviation of a concept that I hope to explore in this blog. For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by the ever-changing nature of the reality that each of us experience. I’ve studied it, tried to understand it, and struggled to coexist with it in some semblance of harmony.

Increasingly, I am drawn to the idea of traveling lightly through this world and experience what it gives me. As it becomes harder and harder to hold onto everything I desire, I am beginning to realize that I will have to learn different ways of relating to myself, other humans, and the interesting trip we are all on.

Writing is one of the ways that I experiment with ideas. To some extent this blog is a pure indulgence, a place for me to record my mental ramblings. However, I have a half-formed hope that my research and writings could be helpful to others who may be curious about change and how we deal with it. The subject matter of this blog will probably evolve (how fitting) over time, but for now, my vision is to write about the following subjects:

Change and change management on the personal, organizational, and societal levels.
Stories of other people that have had transformative experiences.
Innovation and creativity and how they happen.
The occasional miscellaneous rambling