When changes occur, you can be either reactive or proactive, says Sharon Danes, family economist with the University of Minnesota Extension Service. Being reactive means you let change happen and then respond or adapt to it, Danes says. Being proactive means you plan for change and are open to new ways of doing things. You see change as an opportunity, and that can even apply to leaving farming for another life if that's one of your options. When change is in the air, there will always be pressure to keep things the way they are, Danes says.
People naturally feel more comfortable when things remain the same.
Whether you view change as a loss or an opportunity depends on what the change means to you, Danes says. The more meaning you place on change, the greater the sense of loss. Two people can face the same situation, but view it differently. For example, two dairy farmers are both injured and can no longer milk. Both have a son or daughter interested in continuing the business.