IS a Change as Good as a Holiday?
We’re really experiencing WINTER here. It’s unusual because it feels like we’ve had fairly mild winters for the last couple of years. But this year it’s got COLD. There’s rain, though our water catchments need SO much more to counter the long and torrid drought. There’re fogs, and frost on the grass in the mornings. The wind is biting and it’s "no fun going outside".
Thank heavens it’s warm in here, because we certainly know it’s winter out there in the Australian "outdoors". The shift from a long, late balmy autumn, to winter, seems to have hit so abruptly and forcefully. It’s got me thinking about change. Whether a change is as good as a holiday is impossible to asses at the moment because all Pink Apple’s had happening is Change – no holidays on this horizon! (yeah I know, the crowd was bitterly disappointed – NOT)
The endlessly immovable force that all humans face is that change is normal.
So the latest Take A Bite newsletter focuses on change.
I’d love your answers to some of the questions I pose at the end of this article.
Accepting Change
Every day in my business, I am an instrument of change in attitudes, motivations, perspectives, and behaviours. But like many people, I have my little tussles with accepting change myself, at times.
As I often remind my clients, we can always look back to successful changes we’ve accomplished before, to keep us focused on how capable we are of adapting to change!
Empty Nesting – The Ghosts of Changes Past
This year has seen much change at Casa Pink Apple.
As an aging babyboomer you’d think I’d be used to change, wouldn’t you? But it was difficult to adjust to having just two mouths to feed, and purchase groceries for, when our nest finally emptied.
That’s instead of the five (plus mates, plus various girlfriends) we used to be.
Don’t get me wrong I’m happy to be just us, after 32 years of marriage, but the change needs to be taken in baby steps and even then the last step can feel like a leap into the unknown.
The next change was the loss to Perth of the pooch who’s been part of our life for seven years. Suka the husky has gone with Wild Boy to have some new adventures with his master.
Suka was another change I tussled with, in the beginning. No dog lover back then, there were serious reservations about such a BIG dog. But he was only an 8-week puppy when he came to live with all of us. He GREW all right, but he also grew on me!
Once he and I were the only ones sharing the house during the day (home based business remember!), we became inseparable. So losing him from my daily life has been far harder than I could have imagined, and deeply ironic for all the friends whose dogs I had ignored/feared over the years!
The Big Clean-up – The Ghost of Changes Present
Recent change has been in my own little office. It’s taken me weeks to rid the office, not to mention my desk and head, of too much information. As a life-long learner I value all information that comes my way. But sometimes I can be reluctant to sift the information and retain only what’s needed for the here and now.
A little like the compulsive hoarder’s back room, the Pink Apple office was being squeezed into inaction by too much stuff! And so it went!
The relief and freedom to create and do has been massive. The recycle bin’s been pretty massive too!
And there’s still more decor-type "improvements" on the planning list. Read a recent blog post here about the wonderful help I had from Angela Esnouf from Creating order From Chaos.
Plans for Pink Apple’s Blog – The Ghosts of Changes Future
In shedding the load I now can start implementing some of my new ideas.
I suspect that the Pink Apple blog will take on a new style and with that will come the separation of musings from Chris Owen, outrageous extrovert, and Pink Apple, Relationship Specialist armed with advice, challenges, and tips.
If I can find an appropriate name, we might even change the title of the Blog, though Our Newsletter will remain Take A Bite.
With a wedding in the family later in the year, I have become acutely aware of what young couples approaching marriage are facing. And contrary to general thinking it’s not just Bridezilla and Groomzilla.
So there’ll also be a Pink Apple focus on Preparing for The Marriage not JUST The Wedding. No! Lovable Geek and Miss GeeGee I’m NOT suggesting that either of you fit that description! But you’ve been out there, you’ve seen what I mean!
So that’s my change, what about yours?
Things to Think About
Just to get you focusing on YOU here’s some questions about change that might be right for you?
* If change is inevitable, what changes have YOU been confronting lately?
* How are you coping with change in your life?
* Do you resist it, kicking and screaming and hanging on with all 10 fingernails?
* Does that resistance take up more energy than acceptance?
* So is that the best use of your energy?
* Have you worked out yet how to make change possible, and still honour your feelings of fear and inadequacy, as well as excitement and wonder?
Our Quote
"It is not easy for us to change. But it is possible. And it is our glory as human beings." M Scott Peck
Enjoy the little changes you see in your world and take a deep breath before the big ones!
Warm Regards
Chris
By the way, if this article might be relevant for someone you know, please pass it forward.
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