In this mini-series, I want to chat with you about rethinking life. I’ve been doing a lot of that lately and it’s been very energizing. I’m not going to ask you to be mindful 24/7 and tear apart every part of your life, that’s not energizing, it’s exhausting! But, let’s talk about a framework for re-imagining just one piece of your world. Once you’ve done it and seen the results, I think you’ll be hooked!

Why rethink?

It’s easy to become a creature of habit—to always buy the same laundry soap, go to the same restaurant, listen to the same music and plan the same meals. To some degree, it’s more convenient to have established patterns like this in your life. But at some point you need to ask yourself if these habits are helping anymore or if they are just old data that could be improved upon.

Choosing one area to rethink and then allowing yourself to think differently also gets your creative juices flowing. If you find yourself stuck in a pit of negativity, rethinking can unlock doors that are closed to you when you’re on autopilot. You might find new ways to deal with a difficult person or problem in your life just by approaching the problem from another angle.

Rethinking can be related to all those buzz phrases so popular right now. “Vote with your fork” is rethinking food. “Know your farmer, know your food” is rethinking your food supply. “Think globally, act locally” is rethinking consumption.

Whoa. Change??

Yeah, I know. Change is scary. Believe me, I really do know. I am acquainted with very, very few people as scared of change as I am. It terrifies me. That’s one of the side effects of being a control freak. But I have come to realize that being a creature of habit is more a loss of control than exercising my brain and making choices. When I make conscious choices, I am in charge of the amount of change I undertake. Not Johnson and Johnson, not Monsanto, not my doctor or my tax attorney or my favorite department store. Me. And when I fail, I learn. No choices means no failure but it also means no learning. I don’t want to be in that stagnant muddy pit!

So, that’s why I’m sharing this little journey. If you decide to come with me, be comforted that it won’t take much time at first, it won’t make money disappear from your wallet and it won’t hurt…much.

This week, let’s think about that buzz phrase thing. What is your favorite buzz phrase and why does it speak to you? What does it mean specifically to your life above and beyond its obvious meaning? I’ll be back Thursday to share my story, but I want you to share yours too! Please leave a comment here or link to a post on your own blog and let’s inspire each other!

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