Expanding as Protection

In reading Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project, I was struck by the following:

One reason that challenge brings happiness is that it allows you to expand your self-definition.  You become larger.  Suddenly you can do yoga or make homemade beer or speak a decent amount of Spanish.  Research shows that the more elements make up your identity, the less threatening it is when any one element is threatened.

As I read this, I thought about the relatively easy transition (at least emotionally) I've had with going from full-on unschooling mom to doing my own thing and how comfortable I've been as my kids have gone off on their own.

Because I've continually added elements to who I am, it's been easy for me to let go of the bits and pieces that have made me who I am in the past.  Of course, one of the biggest bits (or piece?) was unschooling mom.  That was my main gig for over 12 years - my top priority all those years.

But as I've (sometimes selfishly) engaged in new bits and pieces, I've been able to fill in the cracks and holes that come from big changes.

Ramblings On Transitions

Thoughts swirling around in my head.  They are connected to me, and may not be to whoever might read this.

December is here once again.  In the business coaching world, this means that just about everyone is thinking about making NEXT year the best year ever.  Lots of programs are being offered and lots of buzz around year end and new year.

For me, I'm thinking about my upcoming 50th birthday and what I want to do - how I want to mark this point and celebrate my life transitions.

I've been in a pretty intense transition phase for the last two years or so.  Going from being a married, stay-at-home, unschooling mom (no - you are never NOT an unschooling mom, it just looks a whole lot different after the kids are off doing their thing!) to whatever my next thing is.  I've been reconstructing my entire life and I love it.

I've been training.  A lot.  I've become an energy healer, an essential oil expert, a business coach (and an expert in Book Yourself Solid), as well as lots of other, less official trainings.  I'm an unschooler - what can I say? I've been playing with starting a business and haven't been able to fully commit to what exactly I do yet.  So this past summer I pressed pause on my business(es).  I used my luxurious gift of time to fully explore my sexuality, coming out, falling in love, being in a relationship.  What a gift!

I recently started reading The Happiness Project.  It is inspiring me to think about my 50th birthday year in a new way.  Why not do an intentional Journey of Joy?  Why not blog about this journey?  Spend a year examining what makes me joyful...

My birthday isn't until February, but it feel big and soon and like I need to be through many of the planning stages by now...

There's something about new beginnings that make us all think that we will be better this time.  We will follow through.  We will have the discipline to eat right, the exercise, to blog regularly, to spend time with friends.  It is with this optimism that I contemplate my NEW Journey of Joy.