Bend But Don't Break

I recently read a quote attributed to Hal Borland (1900-1978), the celebrated American author and journalist:  "The earth has its own pulse and rhythm, and the wise and fortunate man leans with the wind."  The evening before reading that sentence, I had had a conversation with an acquaintance about potentially changing circumstances in her work setting.  She stated calmly and with a smile that she would simply need to adapt, that she had found adaptability to be a necessity in both her personal and professional lives.  It was a brief conversation but her comments stuck with me. She had learned the invaluable ability to lean with the wind.  It got me to thinking about those times when I've adapted in a nearly effortless fashion, how other times I've had to really work at it, and yet other times I found that bending seemed harder than just simply breaking from the wind gusts.  Change requires adaptability and today's life is filled with escalating change.  How does one survive it all and perhaps even thrive?  I do believe that the answer's in the wind, leaning with it, that is.