The Wonder and the Worry Change Brings

Hi. Welcome to Bloom Anywhere. I'm Gwen Moran, a writer, editor, author, and problem-solver. My goal is to share information, ideas, and resources to help you overcome obstacles, reach your goals, and find more joy in life, even when things are messy. Thanks for joining me. (If you got this from a friend, subscribe here.) I'd love your feedback and suggestions for future topics. Please send me an email: connect@bloomanywhere.com.

With apologies to my East Coast educator friends who are steeped in denial, today is the first day of September. As I walked out of my house a few days ago, I noticed how the afternoon sun was sitting lower in the sky. I wouldn’t call the air cool, but it was more comfortable than the blazing-hot days of July and early August. Then, I noticed our hydrangea bush.

For most of the summer, it has massive, creamy-white flower clusters. But the minute the evening air adopts a bit of a chill, that tattletale starts to turn pink, as if to get an edge on the leaves that will show off their varied hues within weeks. It’s as reliable as a calendar. Autumn—my favorite season—doesn’t get here until later this month, but our hydrangea is happy to be an early announcer that change is heading our way.

Usually, I relish change. With it comes new opportunities for reinvention and exciting new adventures. Change keeps us from getting stale. But this feels different. Change has been a constant for me this year. Disruptions in my industry have changed the ways we work. Changes in my life, including my daughter moving to her first apartment, have shifted the rhythm of my days. Virtually every area of life is changing, and these new norms feel permanent.

September has always been a time of planning and goal setting for me. It makes sense: I was the kid who couldn’t wait for school to start. So, it’s probably time to do a little homework and dig into the opportunities that current changes will bring: More time for creative and other projects. Motivation to look at new ways my skills can help others. New paths to explore.

But it can also be exhausting. And scary. And a little melancholy. Sometimes, it's easier to wish we could go back to the way things used to be.

Perhaps it’s time to be a little fearless and embrace the possibility and abundance that’s all around us. Something wonderful could be right around the corner. Shall we go find it?

How Are You Embracing Change?

Enthusiastically? Not at all? What sorts of resources and support would help you navigate the season of life you’re in? I’d love to hear more about how you are embracing—or eschewing—change. Send me an email: connect@bloomanywhere.com.