Preparing for Change

December  is a month in which the days are colder, but the hearts of many grow warmer.  People are busy with holiday festivities, and many are anticipating a new year, with new hopes, dreams and goals. Change is inevitable, by evidence of the snow capped mountains, and the short days and the long nights.

There is so much to adjust and prepare for as this is the last month of the year.
As we review the past year, there are those who review it with  mixed emotions, as many events have occurred in 2015 both good and bad. At times it is difficult to monitor our thoughts and feelings when rapid changes are taken place  on an every day basis.

Now is the time to focus on that which lifts your spirits, and engage in those activities that will give you the stamina to withstand the things that have happened,  and to endure the the things that will be.

Enjoy the last of 2015 !

B. L. Aki

To move or not to move that is the problem?

I

Image by B.L. Aki

                                                                                           
In making a decision to move or to do or not do something you do not have to exercise a sudden change just because things aren’t going well. Secondly, If things are going just fine, does not mean you have to stay.   Have I confused you yet?   Basically,  what you decide to do depends on your  goal and the plans that you have for accomplishing that goal.

  For example, you just moved into the neighborhood of your dreams.  The coffee shop is within minutes from where you live,  The Gym is close by, not to mention the closeness to transportation and freeways.  However your little oasis has been interrupted by some very loud neighbors and a stray dog who keeps toppling over your trash.    The first thing to ask yourself is this enough for you to pack up and leave or could you just find other solutions?

  Now lets change the order of this scenario, you live in the neighborhood of your dreams, and besides a few tiny annoyances ( nothing in life is perfect)  you get a job offer that is three times what you are making, and the benefits package is just what you needed for your growing family. The first thing that you may ask yourself is moving going to be more rewarding than the amenities that you are now experiencing?

It is wise  to have a life script or plan, and when making a choice.  Second of all,   refer back to your plan to see if this choice will support your plans or bring your further away from them.

B. L. Aki

Setting boundaries

Just because we experience variations in our day-to-day life, does not mean we have to fully accept them all.    We can not  travel on several paths simultaneously.

 Setting boundaries is the way to deal with the changes that occur in our life.  If we do not set boundaries in our life, we will find ourselves exhausted and not fully productive.  If you receive three invites to go to a Thanksgiving party pick one or two or perhaps none, depending on what is going on in your life.   

Boundaries will provide the structure that you need when changes seem surmountable.

B.L. Aki BS MA
Real Estate Broker
Traditional Life Coach
www.akeyplace.com 

Harvesting our Goals

There are so many things to love about this season.  The autumn leaves, the cooler weather and a time to anticipate the upcoming holidays.  There are those who associate the spring with change, but autumn seems to present a change and a beauty all of its own. The handiwork of nature is all around.  

.

Many people do not like the change, and they would love things to continue as they were, but of course as we know, nothing ever continues to be  the same.  Longer nights force some of us to rest and we can truly take advantage of this time for some inspirational reading and make plans for new projects.

  October is also the time of harvest. All the things that you were thinking of during the year you can collect and sort them.  It is a good idea to grasp this time for what it is, a time to rest from many of our summer adventures and reflect and relish in this moment as we anticipate creation of new goals.

B, L. Aki,  

Riding the tide of change

                                                                                                                Image by B.L. Aki

This morning I realized that it is almost the middle of September.   I almost panicked and my type A behavior begins to rear its head.    While lying in the bed I looked out my window, as the palm trees seemed to be waving to me to calm down.  I then had a peaceful feeling as it dawned on me that it is better to just live in this moment.  Right now, right here was a good place to be.

In life all of our intentions and our musings do not always turn out the way we imagined it or planned. Actually from one day to the next you never know what awaits you.  Change is actually the new constant.  Therefore, today I will be in the moment until its time for me to ride the tide of change once again.

B, L. Aki,  BS MA

Real Estate Broker

Transitional Life Coach

We are in constant motion

                                                                                                     Image by B.L. Aki                        

It is amazing that in two weeks August will be ending.  The next time you see this transcending blog will be in September, and than we can soon anticipate the fall season.  There seems to be so many things to do.  I would love to give you more of my time, and one day I will, but for now I can only commit to you bi monthly.  There is so much business in life that it is probable that you could not read this blog everyday.

  Many students will be getting ready for school, and their  are those that are  taking their last minute vacations, and many of us are already shopping for Christmas! 

 People  seem to be in a state of constant motion. In fact, the earth moves approximately about sixty seven thousand miles a hour.  It takes tremendous energy to move anything.   The other day my youngest daughter told me “ Calories are just a measure of energy released”. 

As I ponder on the several aspects of change it seems to be that motion is necessary.  The whole universe is moving.   Although it may appear on the surface that the sun is rising and setting, the earth is rotating on its axis toward and away from the sun.

Perhaps by now you are making the connection on how science relates to  transcending and moving.  It seems correct to assume that in order to achieve progress it is imperative that you expand your horizons.  Where you are in life depends on the energy and speed in which you are traveling.

B, L. Aki,  BS MA
Real Estate Broker
Transitional Life Coach                                        

stability in the midst of change

                                                                                                                       Image by B.L. Aki        

There is a lot of interest on the topic of stability.  It is said that stability is healthy for children.  Underwriters look for job stability when deciding whether or not it would be good to approve a home loan. 

The question that has always seemed to plague my mind is how can one have stability in the midst of change?  In addition, how would the dictionary define stability?  According to the American Heritage Dictionary 5^th edition, stability has several definitions.  I have taken the liberty to extract thee second definitions for the purpose of this blog.

2) The ability of an object, such as a ship or aircraft, to maintain equilibrium or resume its original, upright position after displacement, as by the sea or strong winds.  (American Heritage Dictionary 5^th edition 2013)

The second definition answered my question as to how one can have stability in the midst of change.   Although we may have changes to our original purpose,  being stable is staying the course.  Just because there is a change does not mean you are not stable.  

B, L. Aki,  BS MA
Real Estate Broker
Transitional Life Coach

Change: Formidable but necessary

 I believe there is fear as well as happy anticipation associated with change, but yet it still seems to me no matter how excited a person might be, there is a tinge of fear associated with the change.  Lets take a couple that is preparing for a wedding ceremony.  Everyone looks forward to the wedding, there is planning, and parties and racing thoughts of how marriage life will be. Men have bachelor parties, and many jokes are told as though the groom is heading toward a world of no return, even though the fear alone is not enough to keep him from taking that leap.

  We have also heard of elderly people who do not want to leave their homes, but maybe forced to leave their home because they may need a single story home or the state may decide they need the home to build a freeway through the place they called home for many years.  In this case you can see why that would be frightening.

                                                                                                                 Image by: B.L. Aki

 Nancy Anderson (2010) author of work with passion states " change really annoys some people. They would rather stick with what they know, even if it kills them in the process" (p.109).  I myself find myself oblivious to changes that may even be natural.  For example, I love yellow roses, and I have several rose bushes in my yard. However the yellow roses are my favorite.  One morning as I was leaving my home, I noticed my yellow roses were gone! I thought perhaps someone had stolen them from my yard, ( since it was May and close to mothers day)  The next time I saw my Gardner, I mentioned to him about the Roses.  He said "I had to prune them so that they can grow again"  I felt relieved but yet a little silly, as my imagination had gotten the best of me.   Since than I have seen the roses appear and disappear and reappear.  This is change that is necessary in order for me to enjoy the beauty of the roses, and it is also necessary for the survival of the rose bush.

B, L. Aki,  BS MA
Real Estate Broker
Transitional Life Coach

The Perception of Change

                      image by B.L. Aki

If you have been following my poetic introductory blogs, it is obvious that the theme is: Transcending is a part of life.  Now that we know that change is inevitable, it is important to examine the effects of change.   Currently I have been doing some research on the psychology of moving and found it quite interesting that sometimes people are not always aware of why they move or how moving can affect them.

 In fact, in the aforementioned blog article, a man reveals he saw himself as a " serial mover"!   From personal experience I found that quite entertaining.     

 Moving is not without its side effects.  Incidentally,  there is a  " Life change Index scale represented by points to demonstrate the level of stress involved.  Looking at that scale could be quite frightening, as many transitions in life are unavoidable. 

 Being the eternal optimist that I am,  I  believe that it is  how the person  perceives the change in their life. If you have not already guessed it, there is a scale for this as well.

It is also my professional opinion that  perception wins hands down.  If we had to depend on the scale, many people would not exist today,  The Greek philosopher Epictetus  quotes  "Its not what happens to you, but how your react to it that matters" 

B. L. Aki,  BS MA

Real Estate Broker

Life Coach

Summer : a season of life

Although spring has often been viewed as a time of new growth, as things begin to blossom and grow, summer is the time where many people feel that this is their time to warm up  from all of the coldness of winter, and the newness of spring.  It seems as though the warmth of summer sun brings energy and renewed strength.

Just as the season of summer yields anticipation and warmth, so are the seasons of our life and our various experiences.  We can view a new experience or season in life  with anticipation and vitality.
 Many can bask in the rays of the sun as we go forth with vigor while letting go but yet learning what each season has taught us.  After all we are always evolving and knowing this will help us glide through the seasons as it presents itself to us.

B. L. Aki,  BS MA
Real Estate Broker
                                       Transitional   Life Coach

images by B.L. Aki

A Rainbow after the storm?

                                                     images by B.L. Aki

Is there always a rainbow after the storm?   As a life coach I never know the outcome of someone’s issue.  Life is unpredictable, and everyone is different.  Although we are human, everyone is unique. I do not believe there is a cookie cutter solution approach to an individual.  Therefore it is in this uniqueness that the beauty of the soul is revealed.

Everyone is the master of his or her destiny.  I found that the answers to most people’s problem are within themselves.  One of my favorite classic movies is the Wizard of Oz.  Dorothy finds that everything she needed was in her own backyard.

B, L. Aki,  BS MA

Real Estate Broker

Transitional Life Coach