Change is inevitable. The earth goes around the sun. Summer is followed by fall. Seeds grow into trees. Toddlers become teens. Life is constantly evolving, dying and being reborn.

Covid-19 has created a whole new wave of change in our lives. It’s woke us up and required us to find a new way of being. The virus has shifted  us out of our day-to day grind and eliminated many of the activities that once filled our lives. We are being forced to reinvent ourselves and create a new way of being.

What I’m discovering is that change doesn’t have to derail you. It can be a fabulous opportunity to turn your life in a more favorable direction. When you navigate change with grace, beauty and ease it becomes a tool for transformation, a catalyst that forces you to grow and glow in new, exciting and unexpected ways. When you welcome and accept change, especially at midlife, it can help you get unstuck and get your joy back.

Many of my clients are experiencing a variety of change I call The Chick Effect. Internal change and a longing for more space (especially during these days of lockdown), meaning and purpose are triggering external change. Like chicks squished in a shell, they’re starving and have out grown their once cozy life. They feel claustrophobic, confused and restless. To distract themselves, they may overeat or engaging in counter productive behaviors. There’s a desire to evolve from the inside out into something fresh, substantial and new.

That desire sets the stage for SHELL-SHOCK! Something happens —like divorce, an illness, job loss or empty nest syndrome—that forces them to rebirth, rebuild and reinvent themselves. My job is to support them as they fight their way free, transform and allow this new birth to take them to higher ground.

I’m going through the Chick Effect in my own life.  As I discussed in my last post, I’m reinventing my self and my business. I’m newly divorced AND an empty nester as both my kids in college.

Professionally, I have a new brand – The Midlife Whisperer™. I’ve been working in the diet industry for decades, and while I’m a wiz at wellness and weight loss (I was the Nutrition Expert for the online weight loss programs for Men’s Health, Women’s Health & The Abs Diet.), I love helping women reboot all areas of their lives from careers and relationships to play and leisure.  Re inviting myself is scary. Online I’m showing up more authentically. For years I leaned into my academic, workaholic side, but that’s no longer working for me. I’ve softened and have come out of my spiritual closet. This shift is awakening me to possibilities that are turning my life in a more positive, expansive and inspired direction. I feel vital and authentic and look forward to getting up and going to work in the morning.

Whatever changes you’re facing you have a choice. You can wish the change would go away or you can go with the flow and allow the change to change you.

Consider the butterfly. She starts out as a hungry caterpillar, stuffing herself with leaves, growing plumper and longer as she sheds her skin. Then one day she stops eating. She suspends herself from a twig and molts into a chrysalis or spins a cocoon. Next she literally digests herself, leaving only a series of special cells called imaginal disks (the blue prints for her new body) suspended in goo. Once her metamorphosis is complete she must struggle to get free. Without the struggle (i.e. if someone cuts her free) she will die.

Yes, change is uncomfortable, but if you want to transform your Self and your life inside and out you must let change take you out of your comfort zone to a higher place. That’s where the magic happens! Don’t look for short cuts to end your struggles. Take to heart the words of Brené Brown, “You are imperfect, you are wired for struggle, but you are worthy of love and belonging.”

Let struggle strengthen your wings so you can soar. You’ll grow and glow and create a life filled with joy, meaning and purpose.

Need help navigating change? Let’s connect and explore how I can help you create a life you love filled with purpose and meaning. To book a free coaching call click HERE.

Stay tuned. In my next blog post, I’ll provide you with 6 tips to enable you to sail through change with grace, beauty and ease.