“Don’t get too comfortable.”

I saw myself here, forever. That’s what I said about my marriage, my house, job, and cities I moved to, like San Diego. “This is it for me, so let’s set up house and get comfortable.”

But what if in life, you feel more like a tumbleweed? Rolling through life with no roots, tossed here and there, going with the flow, or wherever the wind blows. It is not a comfortable feeling as we humans crave to be settled, comfortable, stable, having a level of predictability about our life that feels familiar.

What I have come to know is change happens in cycles, and if you look more closely at every aspect of your life, there has been a cycle or pattern to change, a sort of “expiration date” for when your time is up (do an honest calculation). Apartment – 2 years, car – 10 years, job – 2-3 years, marriage 20+ years…hella too long), dating – 4-6 months.

In each of these, my intention was to stay long, to “go the distance,” to establish roots, but the Universe had other plans, whether it was for my wellbeing, growth, or upward mobility. Reflecting back, I intuitively knew when my time was up. The universe would use people, circumstances, and events to make life “uncomfortable.” If I didn’t heed the change nudge, I’d be “forced out” by life. There were times whereby I stayed too long, well past my expiration date, because of fear, settling, and comfortability, and the Universe, like a host who is hoping for a guest to move on soon, would subtly hint, “Don’t get too comfortable.”

Below are tips on being light on your feet for change.

Tips:
1. Don’t furnish your life with too much stuff that you are not nimble enough to be able to pack up and make a quick move.
2. Less things, more money. Focus on enjoying the simple things in life and stack your coins as change alot of times requires money!
3. Love ‘em, and leave ‘em. I know Rick James “Fire and Desire” came to mind, and while I do not mean this in a cut throat manner, when a relationship has expired, or it’s not working for your better good, no matter how much you “loved” them and reminisce fondly on those times, you have to know when to walk away, when you are no longer meant to walk together. And please don’t ever get too comfortable staying in any relationship where you are not supported, respected, or protected. A hard stop block deserves to be put here. 🛑
4. Security blankets. The only thing secure is your faith in a higher power. The whole world lives in a state of volatility. We are all just one pandemic, stock market crash, health crisis, or firing from our securities to be challenged. It is not “that high paying job” that sustained you, it was the God that gave you that job and promised to provide for you.

I reimagine being comfortable with the idea that I am change in motion. I affect change in myself and in others. I reimagine being familiar with the dance of change, so much so that I recognize the next step, or when it’s time to change leads, and learn a new way of change.

I reimagine settling in with change.