Seasons of Transitions

Yesterday marked the last official day of summer.  That means that it’s time to “transition” into fall.

Wow! There seems to be so much involved with seasons of transition – literally and figuratively.

According to Merriam-Webster, transition is defined as “a passage from one state, stage, subject, or place to another; an abrupt change in energy state or level…usually accompanied by loss or gain of a single quantum of energy.”

I love how that down-to-earth definition exudes a sense of magnitude, either as a passage or an abrupt change.

Isn’t that how many of our transitions are?  Whether a transition involves moving, marriage, divorce, retirement, unemployment, new careers, a new baby, empty nesting, children leaving for school or college, or even aging parents, there is often an abrupt change. 

Some transitions are predictable – like seasons.  Some are unpredictable – like sudden deaths or traumatic accidents.

Whatever the intensity, there is a common thread with transitions – most notably a change to our existing life. And the natural accompaniment with that change is resistance.

Major transitions signal a close to one chapter of our life, while starting a new one.  And as those chapters unfold, there are three “rest stops” along the journey:

• Ending - Before moving on to the next phase or next chapter, it’s important to stop. Recognize that chapter has ended, just as you naturally do when watching a movie or reading a book. When it’s done, it’s done.
• Reflection – William Bridges, a Transitions guru, suggests that this step is the “Neutral zone” where people are “disconnected from the past and emotionally unconnected to the present.” Take time to reflect, though, as this is an important step.
• New Beginning – This part of the journey is more than persevering. It actually requires replacing the old chapter with something new.

Here’s the bottom line:  Everyone experiences transitions in life.  Fortunately, there are resources to help navigate the various changes in life, whether planned or unforeseen.

What I love most about transitions is that there is tremendous hope in a brighter future with the new chapter or season in life. In fact, there’s a great quote that says:  “When God closes a door, He always opens a window.“

Today, as you transition into fall – or any other season of life – may you find confidence in the open window(s) ahead…

Are you waiting?

Do you ever feel overwhelmed waiting?

We wait for…

• lights to turn green
• the person ahead of us at the grocery store
• the weekend
• our coffee at Starbucks
• dreams to come true
• someday…when…
• dinner to finally come together
• the computer to refresh, reboot or to check for new messages
• that special phone call
• a package to arrive in the mail
• life to begin
• your next big break

The list could go on and on and on…

Every day, we are forced to wait.  Sometimes we choose to wait.  And other times, we wait because we have nothing better to do.

Our lives, at times, remind us of those awkward 4-way stop moments.

• Do we take the lead?
• Do we take our turn?
• Do we allow others to go ahead of us?
• Or do we wait?

While we wait, are we anxious? Do we allow our minds to second guess our next steps?

What if — whether in life or at 4-way stops — we anticipated greatness? What if we believed for more? What if we trusted that everything will work together for our good?

What if we could WAIT = With Anticipation, I Trust!

So, let me ask you this… What are you waiting for?

Do you have one?

Do you have one?  A worry, that is?

Or better asked…What keeps you up at night?

• Fear about losing your job?
• Worry about what tomorrow might bring?
• Concern about making your mortgage payment?
• Wondering where you’ll find enough resources to pay for the basic necessities of life?
• Trying to figure out how to stretch the limited dollars you do have?

These very real and pervasive feelings seem to hit us squarely between the eyes. Especially now. We’re either dealing with it personally, or find ourselves somewhat bombarded with the concerns of others.

So, what can be done to re-frame our concerns? Or shift our focus? Is it possible to move from “doom and gloom” to “joy and peace”?

In a word:  Absolutely!
How:  Two words
Which two:  Gratitude Journal

What if each day, you could find one thing to be grateful for? Could you imagine finding a journal and listing something? Every day??

Entries could range in magnitude from “I woke up” to “Test results came back — I’m cancer free” or even “The sun was shining today.”

Could you commit to one entry, each day? If so, I wonder what it would be like to sleep soundly at night. To go to bed with joy and peace…

Will you make the shift today?

“Ducks Quack – Eagles Soar”

As you read through this message, you may find it familiar. Perhaps you’ve heard it before.

If so, that’s awesome!  If not, welcome aboard for a fun journey about mindset shifts and perspective.

May this little story inspire you to THINK BIG, encourage you to CREATE NEW POSSIBILITIES, and most of all, remind you that YOU CAN DO MORE!!!

“No one can make you serve customers well…that’s because great service is a choice.  Harvey Mackay, tells a wonderful story about a cab driver that proved this point. 

Harvey  was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey.

He handed my friend a laminated card and said: ‘I’m Wally, your driver. While I’m loading your bags in the trunk I’d like you to read my mission statement.’

Taken aback, Harvey read the card.

It said: Wally’s Mission Statement: To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment…

This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean!

As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, ‘Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.’

My friend said jokingly, ‘No, I’d prefer a soft drink.’

Wally smiled and said, ‘No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice.’

Almost stuttering, Harvey said, ‘I ‘ll take a Diet Coke.’

Handing him his drink, Wally said, ‘If you’d like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today.’

As they were pulling away, Wally handed my friend another laminated card, ‘These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you’d like to listen to the radio.’

And as if that weren’t enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him.
Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. He also let him know that he’d be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts…

‘Tell me, Wally,’ my amazed friend asked the driver, ‘have you always served customers like this?’

Wally smiled into the rear view mirror. ‘No, not always. In fact, it’s only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard the personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day.

He had just written a book called You’ll See It When You Believe It. Dyer said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you’ll rarely disappoint yourself. He said, ‘Stop complaining! Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don’t be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd.’

‘That hit me right between the eyes,’ said Wally. ‘Dyer was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more.’

‘I take it that has paid off for you,’ Harvey said.

‘It sure has,’ Wally replied. ‘My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I’ll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I don’t sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can’t pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action.’

Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab. I’ve probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over the years, and only two took the idea and ran with it. Whenever I go to their cities, I give them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn’t do any of what I was suggesting.

Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like ducks and start soaring like eagles.

How about us?”

Believing 4 your best — that today can be more than yesterday 4 you!

Reflections

Last night, while attending the final meeting of my Thursday night book club, I was struck by the concept of “reflections.”

Certainly having three icons pass away within hours of each other caused many people to stop the monotonous grind of daily life to ask the deeper questions of life. We realize that Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson will never again be able to experience life as we know it.

So, we stop.
We wonder.
We reflect.

And even as I was reflecting, one of my book club friends commented about the process of reflection in a mirror. “A mirror,” she said, ”only allows us to see what’s behind us — we can’t look forward.”

Wow.
What a powerful statement!

It made me think…How often do we miss out on what might be in front of us because we’re so focused on what’s behind us?

Sure. We all make mistakes. And as a college professor so eloquently stated, “Even God cannot change the past!”

But the past is just that. It’s behind us.

So, as you’re taking time to “reflect” in the days ahead, I challenge you to also spend time focused on the future.

• Imagine what possibilities might exist.
• Consider what it could be like to live life without regrets.
• To the fullest.
• Making every moment count…

4 u…believing 4 your future!

“My One Unrepeatable Life”

The other day, I was reading an article and came across this phrase:  My One Unrepeatable Life.  I jotted it down on a scratch pad, and went on with my day.

In thinking about this a little more, I was taken back by the depth of those four simple words.

1. My – The choice is mine. It starts with me.  I have the ability to influence my life. Every day.
2. One – We only have one life. Every moment is only experienced at that time. Once.
3. Unrepeatable – Right now is unrepeatable. To recreate the last 30 seconds is impossible. Time has moved forward. And life doesn’t come with an “instant replay” or ”rewind” Tivo-like feature.
4. Life – One definition of life is “the condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic objects and dead organisms, being manifested by growth.” Life happens. With or without you.

So, with that in mind, let me ask you this:

• Where have you allowed choices to slide in your life?
• What are some of the best once-in-a-lifetime moments you’ve experienced?
• How can you make the most of more moments in your life?
• Are there certain areas of your life that experience more growth than others?

Here’s to believing for more 4 u…in your one unrepeatable life!

“If It’s Friday…”

Initially, this article caused me to chuckle, a little.  The first line boldly proclaims:  “If it’s Friday, there must be a bank failing somewhere across the country.” 

Granted, this is clearly not humorous – it’s actually quite sobering. 

And in some way, we’ve all been impacted by the soaring number of bank failures.

From job loss, to a loss of your familiar banking habits, to a loss of much more, it seems like everyone has been touched by the glaring bank closures.

Many are asking what’s next?

Survival Jobs – Are U at an Intersection?

“Once upon a time…“ 
Isn’t that how many of us formed beliefs as children? 

And then, as we “grow up,” we believe that we can create a fabulous lifestyle and follow our dreams as high as wanted.

“The sky’s the limit!“ 
Or so we think…

 Sometimes, that “happily ever after” idea suddenly subsides – or shall we say vanishes. 

For millions of people, that ”once upon a time” idea significantly shifted during 2008. Or even transitioned in the past few months of 2009. 

Now, some individuals find themselves at a new intersection of life. No longer enticed by 6-figure careers with boundless benefits; instead, “survival jobs” are becoming the “new normal.”

Survival jobs – aka jobs that pay $10-$15/hour – have suddenly taken the forefront.  Though once responsible for considerable budgets, departments, or divisions, while simultaneously enjoying the 6-figure lifestyle, these successful professionals now find themselves in entry level customer service roles or even janitorial service positions.

Their talents, placed on pause.
Their hopes and dreams, shattered.
Their future, questionable.

Each day, they wake up, wondering what the day holds. They are curious how their day-to-day needs will be met instead of formulating and executing upon a five-year vision. They are stunned to consider the possibility of losing their home. They are puzzled to see if their relationships will sustain these turbulent changes.

In these times of uncertainty, there is an opportunity to re-define some of the most important questions of life:

• Who am I, really?
• What makes me unique, different from everyone else?
• Why am I here, right now?

Remembering that we have all been created with a special assignment is powerful.  Contemplating that we still have a destiny to fulfill, regardless of our income level, can be life-changing. And recognizing that our dreams can still be achieved may be the key to re-ignite a new energy level.

What if these amazing professionals could transform their current survival jobs into something magical? What if…?

What Have U Overlooked Lately?

Recently, a friend forwarded an article capturing a social experiment conducted on behalf of the Washington Post in 2007.  It’s been sent around, and you’ve probably seen it.

To recap:  Essentially, a violinist decided to play a few Bach pieces for about 45 minutes during a typical, busy rush hour in a Washington DC metro station.

Since it was a typical day, very few people even stopped to notice the violinist.  Only a handful placed any money in his instrument’s case.

Little did people realize the true value they had missed. For the violin itself was worth about $3.5 million dollars. And the musician, Joshua Bell, is one of the world’s finest.

Perhaps thousands of people crossed through this pathway of time. All missed out on something, appearing right in front of their face.

So, I began pondering what I regularly overlook in life…

• How many times have I neglected to witness the simple beauty all around me?
• Or failed to notice the seemingly invisible people that might have something special or unique to share?

Am I so inundated with “white noise” that I’ve missed out on glimpses of amazing beauty?

What have you overlooked lately?