Rise and Shine Girl Blog

Life change, if you talk to people most do not like it.  They want their routine, their cozy confines, the knowledge that all is good and will remain the same and it goes on.  I don’t think we were created to be stagnant creatures.  We may be tribal creatures but it is in our blood to be nomads.  My nomad blood has been reawakened!

When I say nomad blood it doesn’t just refer to picking up and moving as I did along with my family. There is so much more in nomad blood than moving towards a new destination.

Growing up I basically moved about every three years until I reached the later days of middle school.  If I was to be honest with myself, I would say I hated those moves at the time they were announced to me, but after every move, once settled, I was able to see and experience the benefits.  Moving in the middle of middle school was no walk in the park and wasn’t fun, but having this experience under my belt gave me great ammunition when announcing to Cole we would be moving during his middle school years.  When I said, “Look at me, I survived.  I didn’t turn out so bad.”  I was met with a cold stare, wet eyes and fists clenched.  Cole may not have appreciated it at the time, but I do believe now we have bonded over our similar experiences.

Speaking if Cole, change and no change in my pocket book, Cole got braces a few weeks ago!  As I drove to the appointment, about 20 minutes away, I found myself on winding roads with hills and beautiful trees.  Love it!  My eyes were wide open taking everything in!  My neurons were firing and my brain was alive!

When I read the newspaper I have a new alertness in looking at all parts of the page as it is a new outline for me, new writers, new companies advertising and great new music opportunities to look out for.  My eyes are alive!

Currently, my sense of autopilot is gone.  I haven’t done anything long enough here to take it for granted and be imprinted in my brain.  Well, I take that back, I can unload the dishwasher, pick up certain articles of clothing off of the floor and I do brush my teeth without thinking about it.  Point being, when the auto pilot is turned off everything is brighter and more engaging.

Now I would be all too peaches and cream if I said the changes in my life are always welcome and always appreciated.  I can say after I have passed through and worked out the result of change, I do learn to experience the ride it has given me.  Some of the hardest things I have been through have led me to great places.

So as I sit here and type this on my front porch, I recognize I’m in the midst of a lot of life change going on.  I have worn the title of social worker for years as well as LCSW.  I have been proud to wear those badges.  They are not just badges, social work runs through my blood.  I have a difficult time turning it off.  Not sure where it came from or exactly how it developed, but it is there and has been most of my life.  This brings me comfort as I will be letting go the title of LCSW.  Yes, I worked hard for it, maintained it over the years with CEUs, used it to transform lives and aided in difficult situations.  Thanks to Georgia code, my LCSW does not transfer leaving me to start the entire process over.  Yes, after close to 20 years with an LCSW, I need to step back, find a supervisor, have 3000 hours supervised over 3 years and then sit for a test, only to lead me back to where I am right at this moment.  Now I do realize there would be growth in that process, new experiences and who knows what!  But the stubborn part in me refuses to go that route.  Gee, no wonder there is a shortage of LCSWs in Georgia!  The reality is that I think I was ready for a change.  I need to be pushed out of my professional comfort zone once again. Honestly, my eyes and brain have been witnessed to some nasty situations in the last several years, I need a break.

So what to do?  Several paths I have wandered on throughout my life have just all merged together. Almost like the Big Bang!  Okay, not quit and that would be extremely egotistical to claim that multitude of greatness.

Between the personal battle of depression I have been blessed with in the last couple of years, the increased conversation of anxiety talk I hear from friends, neighbors and kiddos, and the heart breaking and frustrating stories from friends who have kiddos diagnosed with ADHD…I have decided to go to Aromatherapy School.  WHAT you say!  Yes!  I won’t go into the details at this time as this isn’t the forum for this.  I plan to jump in and devour everything I can allowing me to have another tool to help people who find themselves in the situations mentioned above.   This will be over a year long journey.  I’m so excited, but a bit nervous as my brain doesn’t seem to have the memory skills it once had.

So yes…I have more change in my life than I can find in my wallet these days.  I usually try to have some message in here that is a take away.  One that some day if my kiddos read this they will feel  they have a little morsel to take from this on their journey through life.

Change doesn’t have to be big, nor does it need to be earth shattering.  I bet just taking the time to stop, look around, breathe in, smell your surroundings, notice the colors, the sights, pay attention to how you feel…  This is a big change as we are so busy today.  Smart phone in hand, rolling the to-do-list in the back of our mind, worrying about what is coming around the corner, regretting something we did or said the other day…Shall I go on?  Sound familiar?

The moment you take your eyes off of this printed word.  Close your eyes.  Take a deep breath filling your belly and your lungs.  Slowly exhale.  Open your eyes and look around.  Just be…just be for a moment.

Rise and Shine!