Change is Constant; So Is Design
It has been a whirlwind month around here.
It has been a whirlwind month around here. As I have been navigating through all the transitions, I came across a quote from an interview with Whit Missildine, creator of the podcast “This is Actually Happening” which stopped me in my tracks with its simplicity and wisdom. Whit’s podcast has people who have had unbelievable things happen to them, telling their stories in their own voices and with their own words. One woman, whose 11-year-old son was struck by lightning and killed, was asked, “How did you get through this?” and she answered, “I didn’t make it through. I became the person that could make it through.”
As I sat with that amazing insight, I realized two things. She was on to something about versions of ourselves shifting to address the circumstances we find ourselves in, and yet, there is always something that comes through these transitional shifts that is recognizable to ourselves and others.
Several of my friends and clients are dealing with losses, some of the beloved family members, and others of beloved pets.
Several of my friends and clients are dealing with losses, some of the beloved family members, and others of beloved pets. In all cases, the grief seems to threaten to consume them. And yet, as I watch, and weep with them, and support them as I can, I can see a slow turning towards who they need to be to come through this. And so far, those turnings mirror who I know them to be by Design.
What do I mean by Design? I mean, there is a true nature, a uniqueness that each of us is born with, that is at the heart of our lives.
What do I mean by Design? I mean, there is a true nature, a uniqueness that each of us is born with, that is at the heart of our lives. The more we align with this purpose, the more satisfying and effective our lives are. Transitions of all kinds can look like we are losing ourselves and our lives. We desperately want that sense of ease and autopilot back. We want that cuddle with our pet; we want to hold the hand of our loved one again. And even though we know that is not possible, we long for it. And often everything looks hard. And yet, the unfamiliar is not necessarily hard!
There is no normal.
As we come out of the lockdown phase of Covid, many people seem to want things to be back to normal. There is no normal. There is only the opportunity to rebuild creatively and wisely into a future we cannot see. And we have the opportunity to look forward to who can weather the transition, and welcome that person as our selves.