When I was growing up we often hosted my mom’s extended family at our house for holidays. It was a running joke in our family to guess how my mom would have rearranged her living room furniture. We didn’t have much money, so my mom would redecorate by moving around the things we already owned.
I share that story because it wasn’t until a few weeks ago that I realized how my mom’s penchant for rearranging furniture conditioned me to be comfortable with change.
In a class, the instructor asked us to test our aptitude for change by moving our office garbage can to the opposite side of our desk. He told us to pay attention to how many times we tried to throw something away in the old location before our brain rewired to remember to turn the new directions before letting the piece of paper fall from our hand. I found I was rewired after only one or two false tries. Others took much longer to look in the new direction.
I can’t say that my mom’s rearrangements is the sole cause of my love of change, but it certainly didn’t hurt.
Therefore, in honor of Mother’s Day, I dedicate this post to my mother who helped me become the engine for change I am today. Thank you Mom, for everything!
Some times we don’t realize what we are doing, and how our children learn from what we do. Glad I could help you to be the wonderful woman you are today. Love you Dolly!
I couldn’t help but think of this post today as I rearranged the furniture in my living room. Usually, my reason for doing it was to make it look like I did something. I had to empty out the china cabinet to move it (made it easy to dust the shelves). I had to empty my bookcases which caused me to take a look at the books I had in hiding.
As I was cleaning and thinking of what you wrote, I thought about a boss that kept moving me. Just as I cleaned up one area, and wrote a Standard Operating Procedure I’d find myself on the move again. I hated it until one day I thought maybe he is testing me. Through that experience I learned to keep everything I needed (pens, sticky notes, paper clips, and a stapler) in a carry box so I was ready to move.
That’s the thought I keep in mind every time I rearrange, what if I had to move all of this stuff.