I got off work early and had just sat down to watch Game 3 of the 1989 World Series. I was jealous of friends who had taken the day off and actually went to the game but we were ready to watch the Giants and the A’s, both hometown teams, face off regardless of our locations.
Then life changed.
The Loma Prieta Earthquake on October 19, 1989 changed life for everyone in Northern California. It was like nothing we had ever experienced before.
For me, it meant another move.
I had just moved back home after traveling around the U.S. for three years. I had settled down, gotten a steady job, and reconnected with old friends.
I threw a dart at the map (yes, literally) and was in Richmond, Virginia by Thanksgiving. Little did I know that this is where I would start a family and a whole new life.
Change happens.
The beginning stages of change are the hardest. We fight for our comfort zone. We resist. We repress. We try to keep the status quo rather than embracing and becoming one with the changes.
Sometimes change happens to you and you don’t have a choice, like when an earthquake hits. Other times, you just know, deep in your heart, something must change.
Your heart tells you something needs to change. Whether it’s due to physical, emotional, or spiritual pain. Something has to change. But the challenge is acting on those feelings and making that choice.
Without change:
you don’t grow
you become stagnant
you experience burnout
Change brings fresh insights and new experiences. So why do you resist change? Is it fear? Uncertainty? Laziness?
It’s a survival instinct.
The uncertainty around change, even if we are experiencing pain, keeps us rooted in our current “known” circumstances. Better to face the devil you know, and all that.
What if you’re rejected or judged for your choice? What if you lose friends or family over it? There comes a time when you need to decide for yourself, and stop living to make other people comfortable.
This is about the survival of your true self, your authentic self. This is about the survival of the life you were designed to live.
Questions for Your Contemplation
How do you allow change? Do you allow it?
When do you feel powerless to the changes going on around you?
What keeps you in your comfort zone?
What would it feel like if you embraced all changes as new adventures or growth opportunities?
How often are you stuck in the status quo, the mainstream, and unwilling to follow your own instincts?
Coming Soon!
A new 3-day event designed to bring you clarity about how stress shows up in your life and how to find freedom from the burnout and overwhelm caused by resisting change.
When you’re ready to listen to your heart and make changes that are in alignment with your authentic self and learn how you’re designed to love your life, I invite you to join me!