Hi Friend
It’s been such a good week. Believe it or not I’m still grappling with words for the upcoming website. I’m incredibly grateful that I’m able to invest so much thinking into this next iteration of how I’m serving humanity. Monica and I talked about it on a LinkedIn Live yesterday. I also posted about it the day before because I’m reading a Dr. Seuss biography.
I’m a little distracted at the moment, because it is snowing so beautifully this morning. It looks like it snowed all night and it’s still going strong. It’s been cold all week of course, but that didn’t stop my wife and I from getting outside for some walking. I love the trails and lakes here. The adage about it’s not cold you’re just not dressed right, is true.
Something interesting happened after my fast ended last Sunday. I forgot to drink coffee that morning, which is really weird. Since I did, I decided to run with it. Almost a reverse fast. This whole week I haven’t drank coffee. I’m not entirely sure why, but I like creating new experiences and trying different things when the opportunity arises.
I also decided to implement an “intermittent fast” but not exactly. I am only eating between 8-12p & 4-8p. Again, no particular reason, except I had the idea and ran with it. It aligns with the the theme that has emerged this week: Change will happen. Will I initiate it, wait for it or let it pass me by?
CHANGE HAPPENS!
That’s what has fascinated me about this Seuss biography. I know him solely as a Children’s author. But he was so much more and contributed in lots of different ways. His artistry was central and always the primary way he made a living, but the kids books were not a determined focus until after his 45th birthday. (He wrote some before that with success, but only sporadically).
How we have been doing life can change. Heck, it will change. The question is to what extent will we initiate it or will we wait to be forced to change. Most of us wait till way beyond the time we needed to change. The allure of security in the known vs. the unknown is powerful.
BAD MEMORIES
It’s tax season, so I am revisiting my 2024’s financial experience. I sold a house that I partnered with a guy on to build. It was the worst experience of my real-estate life. It cost 2.5x what it was supposed to, took 2.5x longer than it was supposed to and I lost a third of my investment. Instead of making money, I lost more money than I was hoping to make.
It’s on me because I wouldn’t make the change needed. It took an extra year before I severed the relationship with my builder. (Shout out to my friend and realtor Jeremy Dugas who saved me from even more loss.) I can give you really good reasons from my mind why I didn’t make the change. However, it was inevitable and I simply resisted.
What change do you need to make that you’ve been resisting?
Instigating Ideas…
1. Make an incremental shift this week in something you normally do.
2. Cheer on someone who is making a career change.
3. Consider fasting something for a week.
4. Forgive yourself for not making the change fast enough.
It’s curious how our thoughts work. Because I didn’t make the change on the builder when I should have, not only did I lose so much, a voice inside my head kept showing up and telling me how stupid I was. To a degree, I agree with that voice. Ugh. However, that voice tries to keep showing up. It’s literally the same voice that said “Don’t make the change, because then what will you do?!”
I hate fear. He’s nasty, mean and plays both sides. Scaring us to not change, then taunting us because we took so long.
REVEALED PERSPECTIVES
It will undoubtedly always lead back to wise counsel. When hindered by uncertainty or too cuddly with our comfort, having a variety of outside perspectives whom we trust, and who cares deeply for us, is the antidote to being stopped by fear.
I just read about the turning point in Dr. Seuss’ career. He taught a 10 day seminar on how to write kids books. By putting together his thoughts about his approach, it solidified in his mind the distinct value there was in writing for kids. He had never had that clarity of perspective before.
I want to keep practicing change. I want to stay open to small and big changes. Who knows what opportunities await us, as we’re willing to keep becoming something we’re currently not?!
I hope this week you make change. Big or small, relevant or inconsequential… just flex that muscle to make sure you’re not too stuck in your ways that you don’t even realize it.