Posted March 1, 2022
Welcome to My Life Coaching Blog.
To all of you who read my blog on “Purpose”, last week, thank you for coming back. For any new readers, welcome. I hope you will be inspired by what you read.
The Word is: CHANGE
Definition: Per Merriam Webster Dictionary: "A reversal in position or attitude."
My Story on Change:
It’s impossible to ignore the changes the Pandemic had on so many of us and how it shook our world in ways we could never have imagined. However, instead of focusing on the negative impact the Pandemic had, I want to reflect on something positive.
I want to share a story that begins with a simple walk. It was a day I think about often because it exemplified the theory that behind every dark cloud there truly is a silver lining waiting to be found. Let’s see if you agree.
When weather permits, and that day was an unseasonably warm and sunny one, I put on my sneakers and walk from my house to the lake in my town. It takes me about half an hour each way. When I get there, I usually rest on a spot somewhere near the middle of the lake between the entrance and the snack shack. I choose this spot because there is a wall of rocks suitable for resting upon and for taking in a panoramic view of the beautiful lake before me.
When I sat down on the rocks that day, instead of looking at the view in front of me, I looked at the people around me. In fact, I believe I did a double take because what I saw was unusual for two o’clock on a Friday afternoon in April. What I saw warmed me to the core. I saw mother’s and father’s with their kids. I saw couples of all ages. I saw dogs with their owners. One father was flying a kite with his son, some parents were on the ground playing in the sand with sand toys they had brought from home. There were couples sitting on beach towels, usually reserved for summer outings. Dogs were running around playfully chasing frisbees, tennis balls and children. People were smiling, laughing, embracing. Dogs were barking.
Now, if this was any afternoon in the summer or some random weekend day, I might not have taken notice. But this was two o’clock on a Friday afternoon in April of 2020. History might recall this as the height of the Covid-19 Pandemic. The Pandemic that stopped us in our tracks. The Pandemic that prevented many from going to work or school. It stopped most of us from going to any number of places we would normally be rushing back and forth to on a Friday afternoon in April. But today was different. Today people left their worries behind and decided to have a "Lake Day". It was a day to embrace the sun, the sand and the people they most wanted to be with. This was a day of change, of changed priorities, of changed schedules and of changed “attitudes”. There was something going on that was helping to alleviate the stress the Pandemic had
brought on. There was something that gave all who were there that day permission to exercise a sense of freedom and to deliver on something they needed so very badly, a sense of normalcy in their lives. I suppose we could attribute it to the weather, but I think it ran much deeper than that. I think those people, at that lake, on that sunny April afternoon, had found their silver lining.
Sometimes, the changes we can’t control end up opening doors that may have been closed for far too long or doors that may never have opened at all. It’s true, we can’t always exercise the freedom to take a Lake Day. In fact, some might argue it would take a miracle to pull a person away from their daily responsibilities, because change comes with its share of fear and risk. And yet, when we do take a step towards change, we often discover it wasn’t so scary after all and the risk was well worth it. We might discover change was just what we needed to enjoy the day, the month, the year or the rest of our lives.
If you’ve been contemplating a change for a while and feel stuck, it might be time to talk to a Life Coach. I hope you’ll reach out to me. Thank you for reading my blog and for checking back next week when the word will be OBSTACLE.