Power Cut

It seems like a silly thing but a good haircut can make all the difference sometimes. In fact, most women I know end up getting a haircut at the major junctions in their lives – after a break up, after a wedding, after graduation, when looking for a job, after having a baby. So what is so important about a haircut? I suppose part of it is the “look good, feel better” concept but, really, it’s more symbolic than that. The new cut represents the changes you’re making in your life. There is a sense of relief as the weight of the hair is cut off. It is an opportunity to start fresh by letting go of the old and embracing a new future.

So last night I took scissors in hand and cut my hair. For me, the change had a lot do with why I had been letting my hair grow in the first place – none of the reasons being the right ones. So pulling out the scissors was a way of taking the control back.

The cut itself isn’t perfect, of course, but it gave me back a sense of strength and control that had been slipping away every time I looked in the mirror. Now I look like me again. My outside matches my inside – not perfect but taking shape.

Leap of Faith

Have you ever driven in the fog? It is a disconcerting feeling because suddenly the world around you disappears and you feel completely alone. Even when you’re in familiar surroundings you can become disoriented and lose your way. Eventually, though, you make it through and your path becomes clear again. You discover that you’re not alone and that the things that seemed out of reach are right there in front of you.

That is the kind of week I had. I started Monday morning in the fog – lost, scared and alone. As the day progressed something unexpected happened. Like hearing other voices calling out to me in the fog, I started to receive positive feedback, encouragement and support. I even got a few job offers. I realized that I wasn’t alone in the fog and I wasn’t scared anymore.

I went from feeling disappointment to acceptance to, finally, embracing the situation as an opportunity to make some positive changes in my career. Once I had reached that point, the situation took another unexpected turn. I stepped out of the fog and the path in front of me became visible again. I’ve been given the opportunity to reinvent myself with a position tailor made for me and I don’t have to leave my familiar surroundings.

Sometimes when you’re in the fog it feels like you are moving forward when in reality you’re going in circles. Sometimes the opposite is true and when you feel like you’re moving backwards you’re really moving closer to the destination. That was the case with my situation. I took a leap of faith and trusted that the steps I was taking would lead me forward even though I couldn’t see the way.

So even though the path itself didn’t really change, the perspective I gained from coming through the fog has changed everything. I have no doubt that the next few months be difficult but I’m excited to face the new challenges that lay ahead.

Seeds of Change

I think I know how Jack felt holding those beans in his hand and wondering if they were really magic or if he had been the worst kind of fool. I think we all have momets like that. Moments where we hold the seeds of our future in our hands and wonder what they will really grow into.

The thing with seeds, just like potential, is that they don't do anything until you plant them. Sometimes they don't grow at all. Sometimes they grow into a weak plant that never produces fruit. And sometimes they grow into a magnificent beanstalk.

Today I planted a seed and I have no idea what it will do. Maybe I've planted the seed for a positive change. Or maybe I've just planted the seed of doubt. Now all I can really do is wait and see what it grows into.