I have an exciting announcement today. But first, let’s talk about change.
There’s a quote I love from the Greek philosopher Heraclitus that goes like this: “Change is the only constant in life”. It’s kind of amazing when you think about it. We are always changing as humans while our world is forever evolving. Nothing stays the same. Change is a part of life, and while some changes are so minor we barely notice, others can have the potential to turn our world upside down. Today we’re talking about the latter.
If you’ve seen my website, you know that I focus on helping people navigate the waters of change. What the hell does that mean? Well, I help people work through the curve balls that life throws our way. You know….the earth shattering, and ground breaking impacts to our existence. The stuff that sometimes (usually) sucks. My specialty as a coach is helping people figure out how to sort through the gunk that can come with change. As humans we are resistant to change, so when anything rocks our world we may feel like we don’t know what to do or where to go. We tend to categorize these changes as either good or bad, but they don't have to be either. It really boils down to the way we look at change, and the stories we tell ourselves about it, that will determine how we handle any major transition.
I’m certainly not immune to change. In fact, in the last 3 years I have experienced somewhat of a perfect storm of major life transitions. In that short time I beat breast cancer, left my longtime career in wireless telecommunications, and started my business as a life coach.
OK, so why am I bringing all of this up? Well, I’m about to embark on another major change with my family.
We are moving – relocating – to the peach state. That’s right; we are headed south to Atlanta, GA. My husband has an incredible opportunity, and we’re jumping in with both feet.
Before this last year, had you told me that I would be leaving my hometown for the second time I probably would have lost my mind. I left once before. I’ve been back for the last 8 years, and I never imagined I’d be leaving again. With that said, I am surprisingly OK with this news. So what’s different now? I recognize that change is part of life. I realize that nothing is permanent. I trust that we’re making the right decision for our family, and I know that we will be just fine.
We’re in Atlanta this week to check out the area. It’s kind of an exploration vacation, if you will. I cried when we landed, but I’m not exactly sure why. There’s a mix of many different emotions. I’m excited, yet scared. I’m happy, but sad. It will definitely take some time and patience to process this and let it soak in. However, after passing the 100th Waffle House it started to feel real. This is going to be our home.
There have been moments of sheer panic. I could do a downward spiral into the land of “what if” (you know…..what if we hate it, what if the kids hate it, what if something bad happens), and to some extent I have. My mind has traveled to some dark and scary places. Unfortunately that stress has done nothing except lead me to the pantry more times than I care to admit. Thankfully I’m able to pull myself out of the dreaded spiral a lot quicker as a result of some amazing tools and fabulous fellow coaching colleagues.
I think I’ll take the advice someone once gave me when I was first diagnosed with breast cancer. They said, “now is a real good time to sell all your real estate in the land of what if”. Very sound advice! And instead I will focus on the opportunity and excitement this move will bring us – along with many visitors (I hope).
For the last several weeks I have wanted to dive head first into a cake, but I haven’t. And that folks, is progress.