Posts Tagged ‘decisions’

Becoming a Parent to Change

Monday, October 17th, 2011

I once heard the comedienne Joan Rivers quip that giving birth to her daughter was “a lot like trying to push a baby grand piano through a transom window.”

Birthing anything is challenging: particularly when it comes to change.

Which leads me to wonder: if we already know it’s going to be this difficult, why do any of us sign up for it in the first place?

Because the moment you decide—often with an equal mixture of terror and excitement—to invite the new to enter into your life, you already know it’s inevitably going to change everything.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

So how is it that most of us inevitably end up feeling totally unprepared for the entire messy, yet rewarding process itself?

At first you want the change, you need the change, you can’t wait for the change to happen.

And then . . . once the decision has been made and things start moving in that direction?

At some point, there comes a sudden shock of realization—things are actually going to change.  A kind of, “well, this changes everything, doesn’t it?” sort of moment when you realize there’s no turning back.

Be Careful What You Ask For ~ Cause You Just Might Get It

Incredulous, suddenly, you’re walking around asking yourself, “What was I thinking when I said I wanted this?”

Because birthing a change into your life is complicated. A lot needs to happen before your decision is going to become a reality. But if the soil is fertile and the time is right, things start happening.

Not unlike an embryo, an idea can grow increasingly and alarmingly large in a very short period of time. Whether or not you are truly ready, it pushes your physical, mental and emotional boundaries to the breaking point.

No matter how prepared you thought you were, the effects are often more than you bargained for. Just ask any woman who can’t see her feet anymore.

And all too soon, you find yourself struggling with the impatience of having to wait for things to fully mature.  You are longing to be on the other side of this process. You’re thinking,”ready or not . . . now would be nice.”

But, no matter. Everything takes the time that it takes. A baby takes nine months—no matter how many women you put on the job.

Eventually, you’re at a point of no return. It’s as though this new life has a mind of its own and you’re just along for a very strange ride indeed.

Change Will Have It’s Way

The moment arrives. This is the day. And there is no going back. This new thing wants to burst forth. And it’s going to be a whole lot harder to hold it back than to just let nature take its course.

Even though fear can indeed stop labor for a while, there’s a force far greater called Life.

Inevitably, after much pushing—no choice here—often accompanied by some groaning, screaming and cursing . . . you have given birth.

A change has occurred. Beautiful and new. You’re besotted with the result and immediately forgetful about the process.

Why else would anyone sign up again? No matter what came before, this new life is beautiful to you.

You show it off. You coo over it. You proclaim to everyone that it was absolutely the best decision you ever made.

New Ideas: Feed Well and Change Often

But don’t get too comfortable. Your job still isn’t over.

Because just like babies, ideas will get you up at 3am in the morning screaming to be fed. And sooner or later, it will be asking when you’re going to give it a sibling.

Welcome to the joys of parenthood!