How one small thing can prompt big changes …

"... when the world feels  
overwhelming 
the news headlines  
robbing the world of joy 
day after endless day 
the only thing  
you can stop is you ..."

I spent a day and a half recently on a ferry, which felt like suspended time.  You’re forced to slow down and adapt to a new way of being, which is perhaps no bad thing.  I tried practising some yoga on the deck, which proved impossible.  How foolish of me to imagine that I could counter-balance the shifting sea.  Plan B was to simply sit and watch the waves, enjoy the moment and let myself be still.  I had nowhere else I needed to be; indeed nowhere else I could be.  It was a lesson in letting go of my need to somehow manage every minute of my day. 

It’s so easy to be sucked into a way of life that we wouldn’t chose for ourselves if we had the choice.  How many of us have pondered how different our lives might have been if it wasn’t for the choices we’d made? Perhaps that’s the thing to focus on: choice.  Sometimes we are so far down one path that we think we can’t deviate or turn back, but we can!  We may chose not to, but I think we almost always have a choice.  

It doesn’t necessarily have to be the big things. I’m not suggesting we all make drastic changes, like quitting jobs, filing for divorce and moving to a commune.  Can you imagine the ensuing chaos if we all did that?  It’s amazing what a huge difference small changes can make.  Just think back to those marginal gains leading to Tour de France wins for the Sky Cycling Team.  And let’s not forget Dr Michael Moseley’s attempts to persuade us, as a nation, to do “just one thing” to improve our health.  

Who would’ve thought an introduction to weaving would prompt a shift in my perspective?  But it did and this poem is the result.  Perhaps it was the need to concentrate on doing something physical with my hands. Or maybe it was simply the fact that I was doing something different: I wasn’t looking at my phone; listening to the news; or busy trying to do several things at once.  We have a tendency to think that we need to take drastic measures to effect change in our lives.  I was speaking to a friend recently who told me that she wants to change her lifestyle.  Each morning she feels enthused, only to lose momentum later in the day.  I suggested that she make small steps first and follow the rule of three.  I love this rule!  You focus on just three things over a three month period, rather than try to tackle everything in one go.  It feels more manageable somehow. 

Trying something new is a great way to re-boot.  Sometimes that can be purposeful; other times it is gifted to you by circumstances beyond your control.  Like the ferry crossing I mentioned earlier.  No matter how much I might’ve wanted to arrive quicker, I simply had to adapt to a slower pace of life for the duration of the crossing.  Maybe today is your day to try something new?  Perhaps you’ll discover new depths you didn’t know you had!  I feel sure that, like the ocean, we all have hidden treasures yet to be discovered.