The other day, I bought a bag of Peanut M&M’s from a vending machine. As soon as it came out of the chute and I held it, I knew something was wrong. The bag smelled like bourbon and cigarette smoke. It was bad — like it had just come back from an all-night poker game.
When I opened it, the inside was no better. It was clear to me that this was no longer Peanut M&M’s as I knew them. They had transformed into something else entirely. This experience got me thinking: when something changes its essence, does it change how we relate to it?
This idea applies to more than just a bag of candy. If something in life that we’ve relied on — a job, a friendship, or any other kind of relationship — fundamentally changes, how do we respond?
That doesn’t necessarily mean we need to discard it, but it’s worth taking the time to evaluate. Is the change temporary or permanent? Does the new version still meet our needs or align with our values? These are important questions to ask as we navigate the shifts in our lives.