I have always liked my hair. It's a little on the frizzy side in this picture, but it was taken while I was moving last week. My hair is soft, naturally curly, grows quickly and is long enough to throw up a French braid or pony tail and be out the door in no time. And my husband likes it a lot.
Over the past few years, silver hairs have started to appear. At first, I thought it was neat, but then I noticed that the silver hairs had a different texture. Eventually, even the French braid looked funny with smoothly braided black hair and silver hairs that were all over the place. So I washed that silver right outta my hair in Octboer 2006. It looked nice, but at the end of the day, while the silver hairs were a different color, they were no more cooperative. Plus, the prospect of coloring my hair every month to maintain it was daunting. (Not to mention that my dear mother did this for many years and her hair eventually turned black/violet. I don't want black/violet hair.)
So a few minutes after the above picture was taken, my stylist Karen chopped all of my hair off.
IMAGE HERE
Well, not “all” of it. But it's short as you can see. It's a breeze to maintain. I like it.
Short hair is a welcome change for me. I thought about it for months before I did it, and once I was certain that it wasn't the result of a fleeting emotion, I called Karen to bring her scissors to my house. I will never say “never,” but I think I may have said good-bye to long hair for the rest of my time here on earth. I had a mini-funeral for my tresses at the kitchen trash can — right before the waste company came to haul it away. It's like a new beginning.
Have you ever felt that you needed a change, but were too afraid of change itself to do anything? Maybe now is the time to pay attention to your heart. Here are a few questions to ask yourself when deciding whether the timing is right for a life change.
1. Does the thought keep coming back to you? If a particular thought nags at your spirit day in and day out, pay attention to it because it could mean that it's time for a change. Delve deeply to find the source of the feelings and take some notes on why you are so restless. If there are good reasons to make the change, and it's not just a product of fleeting emotions, chances are something needs adjusting.
2. What will be different if you make the change? Will it help you be more productive? Will it make you feel better about yourself? Will it help you in a particular relationship? How will the change alter your life? Would it be for the better?
3. If the change would be for the better, what's holding you back? Are you afraid of what others might say? Afraid that the results might be irreversible if you don't like the change? Afraid of change itself? If your spirit cannot rest without the change, and the change would improve your life without violating any of your moral or spiritual beliefs, then what are your waiting for?
In the book The Top Performer's Guide To Change, clinical psychologist Barbara Kay helps readers sort through why they may be resistant to change. While its focus is on workplace change, many of the principles are applicable to us as Indie business owners.
Barbara points out that anyone who wants to succeed must know how to adapt to change quickly and seamlessly. If this issue speaks to you at this time in your life, you can enjoy my interview with Barbara on Indie Business Podcast at this link.
