I awoke yesterday (my day off) to the sound of loud banging and commotion outside of my house. My insomnia had flared the night before and I had very little sleep. So, as I rolled out of bed half asleep, I started my day with expletives (most were the F-bomb…my personal favorite😊.) I had completely forgotten that the window guys were coming to start installation. As soon as I realized it was them, my mood changed. The noise was a welcomed sound because it was a welcomed sign of progress!
For the past few months, we have been making long overdue renovations to our house. To say it has been moving slowly is an understatement. The windows took eighteen weeks to manufacture instead of the projected four to six weeks and the vinyl wrapping of the wood got sidetracked when we discovered the need for roof repair and board replacement in the porch ceiling. I was seeing progress but it seemed to be moving at a snail’s pace and I was becoming impatient because I wanted to see real progress.
Then came the noise…the noise that pissed me off at first because it disturbed my little window peaceful slumber…the noise that quickly became a welcomed sound that turned my angry face into a big ole grin. The windows were going in!
Now, I never thought that home repairs would be such a source of joy for me, but they are. As the morning unfolded, I sat as patiently as I could, sipping my coffee and waiting to see the first completed window. When I did, I was elated! Finally, I saw visible, tangible proof of all the hard work that was going into the house.
All of this noise, elation and coffee got my mind percolating. I began to see a correlation between home improvements and my own personal improvement. I have learned over the years, that some of my most profound epiphanies are conversely quite simplistic in nature. Such is true with this one. No matter how much we improve ourselves and our surroundings, we are always under construction.
Much like house repair, when we strive to improve or better ourselves, there is always mess, sometimes delay and always discomfort for ourselves and those experiencing it with us. Sometimes the mess and discomfort are minor and has little adverse effect on the person who is in repair. Sometimes when things take longer than expected, discomfort and anxiety rise up and complicate matters. We start to let that affect how we deal with others and they feel our discomfort. Ultimately, you will reach the noisy part…the part of your personal renovation where it’s loud and messy and uncomfortable for you and everyone else. But you know what? It doesn’t matter! What matters is the end result.
So, I encourage you to apply my epiphany to your own life and embrace change. Deal with the messy feelings that happen when you are effecting real change. So, I encourage you to apply my epiphany to your own life and embrace change. Deal with the messy feelings that happen when you are effecting real change. Do the work that is necessary to make you the best version of yourself. Don’t miss the payout because you are afraid of a little mess or because you are worried that others can’t handle the mess. If they are growing and changing, as we all should be, they are making their own mess and have no room to complain about yours.
When you hit the wall and there is a delay, be patient with yourself. Look at all that you have already accomplished. Be proud of the progress you have made and look ahead to the finished product. Slow progress is better than no progress. Keep on keeping on! Look frustration in the eye and determine to stay the course even when progress seems to be slow or non-existent at times.
Then there is the noisy reconstruction…the construction that disrupts life, requires a lot of clean up and keeps people at arm’s length a bit because the mess makes them feel uncomfortable. This is by far the most annoying but, ultimately rewarding, form of change. This is the change the others see visibly happening in front of them. It is most annoying but so necessary. If you are going through this type of renovation in your life, as a person or in your home, do not feel obligated to apologize for the noise or mess. You can’t make a cake without breaking a few eggs. You can’t renovate your home and make it better without ripping out the old, broken parts and replacing them with something better. You cannot become the best version of yourself without ripping out the outdated and useless clutter in you and replacing it with something better. And if people can’t handle the dust and noise in the process, they can simply distance themselves until you are done.
With all that said, I will confess that I have been doing a bit of self-renovation, as well as, home renovation. I am in the noisy portion of the process. However, instead of letting myself be annoyed at all the noise and dust, I am smiling and being thankful for it because I am seeing real change and I have a clear vision of the end result. So, for a bit, I will be cleaning up the mess and repeating the process again and again multiple times until all is done. Then I will probably find another area of my life and home that needs attention and start all over again. To those who are loving me through this stressful transformation, I love you even when my resting bitch face and mouth don’t always say it😊
I guess this is the portion of the blog where I put on my guru hat or grab my mic like Jerry Springer and leave you with a parting thought. Here it goes: Change is always good and should be actively pursued. Change your living space; change your inner temple; change your hair; change your makeup, learn something new and apply it to your life; don’t wait for your life to get better…MAKE IT BETTER one renovation at a time. Like my girl, J-Lo says, “Let’s get loud!”
May your journey to a better life and a better you be an exciting trip.
Health, happiness and good vibes to all…
