This week, I'm honored to introduce my first guest contributor, Alex. Although we now live on different sides of the country, Alex has been a dear friend of mine for nearly two decades. She has a positive outlook on the challenges encountered when transitioning to different phases in life. Here, Alex writes on the subject of "change" and offers helpful advice that anyone can apply to her own life. Thank you, Alex, for sharing your story with us!
On June 5, 2015 I found myself locking the front door to another home, while watching the movers leave with our household goods. A new adventure for the Larratt family had begun again.
During my marriage to my husband, 20+ years and counting, we have moved 12 times. Yes, 12 times in 20 years of marriage. Russ is a retired Naval Aviator and we were fortunate enough to live the adventure of Navy life. With this great adventure came different challenges. The consistent challenge among military families is change. Change, however, isn't exclusive to military families. Change is rarely easy, but I have learned that change is a great thing. I do believe, if you are not changing, you are not growing.
The summer is coming to an end. Changes are in the air; military families have PCS'd (permanent change of station), others have moved to new cities for new jobs, and others are preparing to send children off to school.
There are a few things I have done to help make changes in our family easier.
EMBRACE
Whether you like it or not, change does happen. The sooner you embrace it, the better equipped you are to handle the change. With every move we have made, I put a smile on my face and looked at the move as a huge opportunity for myself and my family. Moving blessed us with another opportunity to live in a new town/state, an opportunity to live in a new house, and of course, an opportunity to meet and make new friends. I could literally drive from the west coast to the east coast and find a friend at every stop. When you learn to view change as an opportunity for growth, it has a very powerful effect on your life.
REINVENT
As a Navy spouse I had the opportunity to reinvent myself - necessity is the mother of (re)invention! I am a Registered Dental Hygienist, currently licensed in three states. I have lived in nine states, so I think you can guess that I was not always able to practice dental hygiene. Thus, my reinvention. How exciting is the opportunity to reinvent yourself? Take a step back and think about your passions, or think about what scares you. Go ahead, step outside of your comfort zone and reinvent yourself. I have been a personal trainer, and independent consultant for a clothing line, and the copy editor at a local newspaper. I loved each of these jobs, and learned so much from them - not to mention the lifelong relationships which were made. Without change, I would never have had the opportunity to take a risk and step outside of my comfort zone.
EXPLORE
It does not matter if your change is a move, new job, children back to school, or even an empty nest, go out and explore. Obviously, moving to a new area gives you many reasons to explore. But, what if you have never moved? I was born in New York and lived there until I was 11. My Dad was tired of New York winters and we moved to the Promised Land...Florida, where I lived the rest of my childhood. There are many places in both New York and Florida that I have not visited, mostly because they were places in my backyard - I would always have time to visit. Time slips away and you don't visit these places. Stop! Get out and explore. There is always something new to see and something new to learn, even in the town in which you have lived your whole life. Explore the opportunity.
Steve Jobs said, "If today were your last day of your life, would you want to be doing what you're doing?" If you ask that question everyday for a week and the answer is no - make a change. Our lives are short and we were put on this earth to live! Embrace that change!
Alex is a forty-something Registered Dental Hygienist, wife, and mother of three. She is originally from Long Island, New York, and moved to Crystal River, Florida at the age of 11. She has lived in all four corners of the U.S. and a few places in between. She now calls Coronado, California her home.
Alex loves to read, travel, workout and cook. She also admits that she likes to watch television! She doesn't Keep up with the Kardashians, but she knows what the Housewives are doing. She is an early riser and has been since day one. She says that, in the quiet of the morning, she reflects on how lucky she is to have a wonderful husband by her side, great children and extended family, and some of the best friends a girl could ever need!
When asked to contribute to the blog, Alex graciously obliged. She said that she has many things running through her brain on a daily basis and figured that, if it's going on in her brain, chances are it is in someone else's as well. I think she's right and am thrilled that she has enthusiastically agreed to be a part of our "Notes from the Field" community!