By John W. Bul
March 4, 2010
Change (chanj) 1. a. To make different: ALTER. b. To give a totally different form or appearance to: TRANSFORM. 2. To give or receive reciprocally: INTERCHANGE. 3. To exchange for or replace by another. 4. To lay aside, abandon, or replace by another: SWITCH. 4. Transition from one state or phase to another. 5. Something different: VARIETY. 6. To give or receive the equivalent of (money) in lower denominations.7. The balance of money given when the amount given is more than what is due.8.a. The act, process, or result of changing. b. Substitution of one thing for another. (Paraphrased from Webster’s II New College Dictionary)
Did you ever take the time to ponder the power of change? The definition of the word “change” lists multiple meanings. Similarly, the power generated by change is multi-faceted. Changing the oil in your car regularly will prolong the engine life. Changing your hairstyle or type of clothing will transform your appearance. Changes to your investment portfolio can impact your financial stability. A change of scenery, such as going on a vacation, moving to a new home, or even taking a different route to work can affect your mood, improve your attitude, and even reduce stress.
When I got home from work yesterday, I emptied my pockets onto the kitchen countertop. Along with two sets of keys, a paper clip, and a lock washer was 67 cents in change. That seems to be an insignificant amount of money, doesn’t it? If I put that same amount (67 cents) in a jar every day for a year, it would total $244.55. Does that still sound insignificant? Perhaps it does. Did you know that $244.55 is more than the average total annual income of the world’s half-billion poorest people? If a medium size business employing 1,000 colleagues all accumulated that same 67 cents a day and the money was pooled together, the total would swell to $244,550.00 a year! Don’t worry — I’m not taking a collection. I’m merely attempting to illustrate the incredible power of change.
All of us, as individuals, as a community, as a society, and even as a world must become aware of the immediate need to change the way we treat our environment. This planet belongs to all of us. We are all responsible for the elimination of pollution and the proper use of our natural resources. Pollution has no boundaries. It has no race, religion, or government.
Great strides in the right direction have been made with the implementation of ISO 14001 in our business sector. This is an international standard series designed to focus upon pollution control in an organized and coordinated manner. It encourages governments, businesses, and organizations to strategize, develop and implement environmental management systems linked to a common standard understood by all. Recycling initiatives in many communities have significantly reduced the amount of waste ending up in landfills. Alternative energy sources such as solar, wind, and geo-thermal are revolutionizing our economy, and will have a positive impact globally. Environmentally conscience retailers are offering reusable containers instead of plastic bags. Energy efficient fluorescent light bulbs and Energy Star appliances are conserving energy and saving money for our businesses, as well as individual consumers — which is all of us!
Our success, if not our existence, depends on the collective efforts of all of us. So I’ll ask again: Got any change?
John W. Bul, CMRP, is commercial manager-Michigan operations for Webasto Roof Systems, Inc. He can be reached at [email protected].
