Doing something new can be a catalyst for renewal and a foundation for reinvention.
The last time I visited my healthcare partner she was wearing her burnout on her face. The quintessential professional she juggles caregiving responsibilities for a live-in parent with the demands of a busy practice. When I asked her about vacation plans she admitted that her default position for the year was to attend an annual state-wide professional meeting, hardly a respite (the meeting was scheduled in a small rural community whose only attraction for the group was its geographically central location). It was clear given her present schedule that there was no chance for a renewing vacation in the foreseeable future so I suggested that she could find rejuvenation in the city and challenged her to do or try something new, at least once a week.
While doing or learning something new can be rejuvenating at those times in our lives when we are in need of renewal, a bolder approach to doing and learning new things is necessary for reinvention. Exploring the options for and cultivating who we want to be in the next phase of our lives usually takes a bit more planning, time and perseverance. If we’re lucky we catch a glimpse of the vision of who we can become when we begin to try new things or do things differently.
When was the last time you had an adventure?
Take no risk and there is no reward.
Keys #45
Cosmic Gardener - Cultivating a Life 