I'm Not Who I Was

As I sit on the train heading to New York City, I am struck by how much I have changed since 1990, the year I moved from California to the east coast. When we catch glimpses of ourselves as changed forever, we are reminded of the gift we are offered in life......,the gift of transformation. As a therapist and counselor, I love watching clients grow and shift in their lives. It is so very rewarding to watch the process of change occur right before my eyes. Sometimes the shift is so subtle at first, like a mist of rain, so light that you hardly notice it. Progressively though, those subtle changes add up until you have completely transformed. What an amazing experience! I love when clients share with me those moments when the shifts catch their attention and they realize that they react differently, change their story, forgive someone or move through their darkness and pain into seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I have experienced all of that on my journey. When I moved to New York City so many years ago, I was lost and heart broken but hopeful that I would find my way. I took a chance and moved to NYC with no real plan in mind. I was a blank slate. Sometimes we have to take a leap of faith and head into the unknown. Buddha defined the wise person as "one who will gladly give up a smaller pleasure to gain greater joy." That statement shows how each small choice we make, each risk allows us an opportunity to change and to ultimately find joy. Leaping helps us to reshape who we are. Without ever taking chances, we feel stuck, stagnated and disconnected. Taking risks brings us back to life and offers us new opportunities. So here I am 19 years later enjoying the view as I look back in time and realize that I am not who I was. Bask in those glimpses, those quick reminders that life is a process of growth and change. Enjoy the journey and know that years from now, if you take a leap too, you will catch a glimpse of this moment and realize with a smile, that you are not who you were either, for every moment offers each one of us an opportunity to........ transform.