MOVE: March 21, 2014

Wake-up - The Hibernation is Over

Spoiler summary: say it out loud and this Spring can be about more than new growth on the trees & shrubs.

YES! As I write this, today is the first day of spring. The ice is melting and we've seen the last of "ol' Man Winter" (at least on paper) - very welcome news by just about everyone.  So it's with that in mind that I ask - how will you make this the most meaningful spring it can be?

Sure, early Spring can be a tough transition - there are still a few cold days waiting to surprise us, and the body's defenses can struggle to keep up when one day it's cold and the next is warm.  I know I've already felt a little bit of my biannual "change in seasons sniffle"; but that won't last - we'll get to the other side of the transition and be staring-down the heat of summer before we know it.

So instead of rushing THAT, maybe it's a good time to look for "the thaw". The thaw is term I use for another transition - one that people go through when they come to the realization that it's time to  make a change; it's before they catch "the fire" to change; the very beginning moment of an awareness that they're not satisfied with their current results and they're ready for a new beginning.  It's a strange feeling for some - like the fuzzy mind and sluggish body of someone waking up.....and Spring is the PERFECT time.

So how do you know when you're thawing to the safer and healthier actions of prevention? When you can see a new or better you in your mind's eye AND you have the courage to say your goal out loud.  The thaw is not only about wanting something - you can still be frozen and "want it".....the thaw is about wanting it bad enough to tell someone else.....even if not in its final form, it's about personally owning your goal enough to "try it out" on others, and it's a sure sign of thawing.

Ever find a friend saying "can you imagine if I quit smoking?" Or "I wonder what I would look like 25lbs lighter" or "what would it be like if we exercised every day?"  Of course it doesn't have to be these exact questions, but questions like them are a sign that a person is considering a change, and they're testing the idea out on you because they care about your opinion.

To this I say AWESOME! And...I hope you'll be supportive.  Change is hard and it takes a ton of courage to try something new....we each have a hand on the thermostat when it comes to our loved ones - if we squash the thaw with our response, it's like lowering the temp - the person will undoubtedly refreeze....but with the right support any one of us can experience new growth that comes with warmer, brighter moments.

At about the same time this note will get delivered, I'll be challenging a group of folks (Friday) to "thaw-out" a little as part of a meeting I'll be attending.  So even though by the time you read this the thaw portion of the meeting will likely be over - I'll ask you the same 2 questions now:

What's your goal? And do you want it badly enough to say it out loud?

I hope so - but if you're not quite ready to say it to a friend/family member or coworker - just send us back a note, we'd be honored to hear about your next adventure.

Have a great week,

Mike E