Normal Service Resumes

Sharon the Ed suggested that I have an attempt at normality again this month on the grounds that she doesn’t want me to become too Mildred, I think she’s scared that nuttiness will become the norm. (Please no one remind her that I’m hopelessly fluffy, rarely know what day it is, and Mildred’s more than an alter ego – she might not have realised yet).

Happy as I was to resume normal service for just one month, I decided not to. Why you may ask (in fact I hope you’re asking)? Because normal service is boring.

We have a pre-ordained blueprint for life that runs from the cradle to the grave that no one tells us that we have to follow but somehow most of us just do. We call it plodding on.

Most of us plod on for two reasons, firstly no one told us not to and secondly a mad passionate race towards an unknown future could land us somewhere unexpected doing something unexpected and that would not be...well...expected. How horrible!

I mean how brilliant!

What an amazing idea it would be to stop doing what we’ve always done and do something completely different. To stop all the plodding and start sweeping gracefully through life like a butterfly, landing on something and tasting the sweet nectar and then swooshing away to a whole new beginning.

You could even become a high flyer at something you never thought you’d be able to do. Which is a good idea because cats chase butterflies all the time and those critters can jump.

Seriously though; why not rebel against the norm and start changing your life? Why keep up normal service and doing what you’ve always done thus complaining about what you’ve always got? Why not take a leap of faith, a voyage of discovery, a gentle foxtrot amongst the stars? Why not?

Because it’s SCAREY of course! Because it would represent CHANGE. Because you’re trapped in a job and ground down by a mortgage and the kids need new clothes and the car’s falling apart and the plumbing has sprung a leak. Because you’re scared of tomorrow and whether you’ll have enough money to pay for tomorrow. Mostly because no one told you to.

Ok I’m telling you to start doing things differently. Not all at once of course. We live in a material world and thinking that we can somehow live in complete denial of our society is ridiculous. Spiritual people who try that usually end up asking their less Spiritual friends for money to help out, or worrying endlessly that they can’t pay the bills.

When you begin a life of change and transformation start slowly with very simple steps such as:

• Vary your journey to work and back every day, take a new route.

• If you find yourself constantly eating the same foods buy a cook book and change your diet.

• Get your hair cut and coloured (see a new you).

• Reduce your wardrobe to only clothes you feel great in (another new you), and if you can afford it always keep up with the times. You’ll feel younger and more positive if you don’t dress like your grandparents.

• Ask your friends to recommend books and films and then read them and see them.

• Book a holiday somewhere you’ve never been before.

• Redecorate the house.

• Do a vision board.

Start with simple, cost effective, ideas and as you get more used to change you will find it easier to think about changing the big things in life. Once you’ve thought them through you can start making sensible planned change until you’re living the life you always wanted to live. Or maybe a fantastic life you never knew you wanted to live.

I know that starting slowly and keeping it simple is really boring normal advice and we’re trying to escape the norm. However, leaps of faith based on nothing more than a whim, carrying nothing more than a pair of spare undies and a toothbrush, don’t really fit into this society.

If you’re going to change make it positive change, don’t dig yourself into a hole created by dreams backed up by nothing but wishes. Create a positive life based on pure commonsense, leaving room for the inspiration and flexibility that will ensure that when people tell you they’re stuck in a rut you’ll ask “what’s a rut?”

Wishing you happy days and peaceful nights, and the money for a few whims

© Deb Hawken 2011
www.dancing-star.org.uk