August is typically the lazy time. Here it’s hot and humid. We are languid. We lay about, sweet stonefruit juice dripping down our chins. Dogs pant nearby, we chill in the humidity.
And the cool breeze comes, we catch a leaf turning on the tree — evidence that the new season is coming.
I love yielding into that lazy.
But this year I am not. I’m rallying. In fact, the view above was from my summer office, where I plotted, planned, and yes — saw clients, albeit virtually.
My husband’s job was eliminated earlier this month; we’ve decided that he’ll take the lead with our children at home this year while I’ll go full throttle on my business. I’m very excited to upshift, and as we’ve always flirted with him in the stay-at-home dad role which would give me the ability to lean into my work more deeply.
We’re going to take advantage of circumstance and give this a whirl.
In addition, we put our house on the market, hope to close with grace, and find some other spot in Montclair to hang in for a while. For those that know the area, we hope to move to the South End, make new friends and meet new neighbors. A small change in the comfort of the familiar.
So while my work and house is changing, I wonder — how is your life shifting?
Are you buckling down in this moment, or making some changes? Are the changes unexpected, or ones you’ve been hoping to make? Is this an opportunity to shift that which you’ve been tolerating that has no longer become tolerable?
To that end, here are some tools I’ve been using this summer to prepare for change.
PERFECTION IS A TRAP (podcast)
For me, perfection as the thief of creativity, joy and ease. In this podcast, I’ll review my preferred philosophies: the 80/20 rule, “bend but don’t break”, and think that the best way to travel is without a plan. By yielding to the uncertain (whenever we can) we allow for more discovery, more serendipity, more no-expectation living.
AN INTRO TO STOICISM (podcast)
Stoicism is a Greek philosophy from the 3rd century B.C. that feels especially relevant today. In this episode I review some tenants of stoicism. If you feel you would like to consider a fresh, simpler approach for approaching life in these difficult times, have a listen and prepare for lift off. Here’s a blog I wrote about Stoicism: Why Is Stoicism Important In A Pandemic.
IDEAS FOR COPING WITH UNCERTAINTY (podcast)
Based on this article from the Greater Good Science Center, I review seven methods for managing our minds as we enter month 6 of pandemic precautions. Also, I take a few moments to review (and reject) a recent non-apology from an enneagram expert.
Allison
