Change is a'comin'

Change - what a word. How does it strike you? What visceral response do you have to just seeing the word. Some women I've met break out in hives at just the thought of it. Others squirm in their chairs. Still others are grabbing for their seat belts in readiness for the adventure.

"One thing that will never change is that things will always change." There's a bite size brain snack for you. (ck out others on my blog) Everything in this life is subject to change on a moments notice.

My daughter, Lori, not only likes change but invites it. She not only invites it, she's an agent of it. She's a bright young woman with a quick mind that will always find a way to be occupied. When she sees something, it comes naturally for her to view it not as it is but how it should or could be. Now this attribute can have a few downsides but we're not talking about those.

The great outcome of this attitude is that her world is alway in motion. Things are ever changing and becoming something different and better than what they used to be.

If a room is in neutral, Lori sees it in color. If a relationship is stagnant, she infuses energy into it. If an activity is boring, she conjures up fun. I just love that about her. People like Lori are the folks in your life that you gravitate to when your looking for ideas, for out of the box thinking and just plain good times.

Whether you welcome change or detest it - it's coming. Here are some things you may be able to do to "deal".

1) BE OPEN - take the lid off the box you live in

2) SEE NEW OPPORTUNITIES - stick your head out of the box and take a peek

3) MAKE A DECISION TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT - put one leg up over the side of the box

4) GET OFF YOUR BUTT AND EXPERIENCE SOMETHING NEW - jump out of the box

5) ONCE YOU'VE DONE, DECIDE WHETHER YOU LIKED IT OR NOT - pick up the lid to your box

6) IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, TRY SOMETHING ELSE - put the old lid on the old box with super glue

See, that wasn't hard. Your now LIVING outside your boring box. Enjoy!!!!

Color My World

...no not the old Chicago song, silly. I just heard the song the other night as we were enjoying the company of good friends. It took me back to high school in a flash. But that's not what I want to talk about today.

Color is important to me. It speaks to me. In my home, in my fashion, in my mind....it's all about vivacious, expressive color. Color creates an environment and invites an experience. Color says to the mind - relax or get moving or change or love, or just so many other things.

I can recall vividly several times where fashion color got me into trouble. I would show up to a function in an area of the country where people choose to wear clothes the same color as the dirt and dust where they live. I don't get that. Don't you people see the need to add a little COLOR???!!! . Like red, or purple or blue? God made those colors too and I don't think I see any black, brown or grey in His rainbow of promise.

Taken from the airplane as we landed in Denver. I've never seen a rainbow that came straight out of a cloud and touched the ground.

On these occasions I would be dressed like a usually am with some degree of vibrant color. I would like the way I looked until the pressure of their dullness would make me feel like crawling under a rock. Or turning into a chameleon so I could morph to one of their "earthy" colors and disappear into the landscape. It's just so confusing to me.

I'm not sure why I'm so drawn to color. It just trips my trigger. All I know is that I'm easily bored with neutrals. I just want to ask why? Why would you choose so much absence when there is so much presence at your fingertips?

I'm striving to make that true from the inside out. Why would I choose so much neutral - in my beliefs, values, relationships, work - when there is so much "color" at my fingertips. It makes me want to pursue a purple, blue, green, yellow and red. I want to chase after passion, peace, growth, happiness and courage.

If you're a person that likes neutrals - please! just tell me why??

HAVE A LITTLE VISION, PEOPLE

Undertaking any kind of change - from redecorating, to rebuilding, to moving, to marrying, to starting a new job - can be scary business. One thing I have found that helps is to have a vision of what you want that "whatever" to look like, feel like, accomplish?.

Doing some mental work on the front end allows the necessary steps to get there come into focus. Once you have the end result in your mind's eye you can work backwards to decide how you are going to get there. Let me encourage you that many times there is no right or wrong way to "get there". You and I might want to end up in the same place but take diverse roads to get there.

Let me give you an example. My sister and I both love to plan events. We can easily get a vision for what we want the event to look and feel like, the experience if you will. It's at that point that we take diverse turns. My sister functions best by being fluid and spontaneous in her process. I find more satisfaction in laying out a well thought out plan and executing it step by step. Which one of us is right?

The point is that she has pulled off some spectacular events where everything came together and people felt like things when off exactly as planned. (It's only their perception that's important, by the way) I, too, have pulled off some pretty big deal events where people felt that everything had gone exactly as planned. We both reached the end we had hoped for coming from our own different paths.

Our vision is the most important thing. Capitalizing on our personality traits, gifts and talents helps us figure out how to get there. I love the individuality of vision and arriving at the vision.

What is your vision? How do you plan to get there? Follow your heart and mind right into that change and make it happen.

Key Thought - when it comes to God and our spiritual journey, however, there are not many ways to the same end. See post "One Path". Those who say that there are many paths to God are sadly mistaken. There is only the One True God of the Bible. And He says that Jesus is the only way to relationship with God. Answering the question - who is Jesus? - is the most important question you will ever consider and answer. I love that the word "quest" is in the word "question". Most questions that are in the deep places of our heart are really about a quest to relate to the God. Read more in the "One Path" post.

YOU HAVE A TURNING POINT – A Life Renovation

“You’ll never get anywhere you’re not headed”. A wise mentor

My friend, Amy, recently bought a house that needs a total renovation - on purpose. She’s up for the challenge of doing demo work and removing rubble. She’s excited about making a million and one decisions and choices about what to put in that house to transform it into a home.

I’ve been thinking about renovation, as well. But not a home renovation. I’ve decided to undertake a renovation of the most personal kind. The end goal is wholeness and wellness and joy – from the inside out.

So this blog will be about a million and one decisions and choices I’m going to make along the way. It’s about knowing myself well enough to know what “fits” and what doesn’t in this season of my life. It's about removing rubble and "decorating" with care. It’s about understanding that choices I make today influence my readiness for the unknown of tomorrow.

My working definition of a turning point goes something like this. A landmark/event marking a unique or important change of course or one on which important developments depend. Did you read that?

Your gonna love this one – The point at which a significant, decisive change occurs, a point at which something changes direction.

I’ve given myself full permission to make U-Turns. Those of you that know me understand that I always take that opportunity when I’m on the road and even break the rules most times.

So now I’m applying that in a new way. I’m giving myself permission to make U-Turns that take me in an unexpected, unplanned direction. The choices are mine to make. I have to live with them – good, bad or otherwise.

The quote from my mentor says it all. “Where am I headed?” is an important question to ask myself. On my journey, I’m headed toward God, people and self - in that order by the way. I hope you’ll join me in the fun of decorating my “home”. And along the way it’s likely you’ll discover some turning point moments of your own.