New beginnings

“Spring arrived a few weeks ago.

Whether you consider this to be when the meteorological spring season starts on 1 March or when the spring equinox takes place around 20 March signifying the start of astronomical spring; it is definitely here. Not that it is that obvious. Where I live spring is still cleverly disguising itself under a cloak of winter, with the temperature as I write reaching a high of 6 degrees, wind gusts of up to 45 mph and a heavy hailstorm underway.

However, as I look out onto my somewhat bedraggled and increasingly neglected garden, I can see that there are some tell-tale signs of change. There are perennial shoots starting to emerge from the waterlogged earth, young buds cautiously appearing on camelias, fresh blossom desperately trying to cling on to fruit tree branches and a whitebeam bursting into life with copious bright, silvery green leaves. There are even some flowers. Daffodils, tulips, primula, and bergenia bravely bearing the battering wind and rain to bring some much-needed colour and offering a tantalising taste of what is still to come. Spring is the time of new beginnings, fresh hope and the possibility of abundance.

In the depths of winter I started a new job, in a new organisation, in a new city.

I’d worked for my previous organisation for 25 years and rather than feeling like a ‘life-sentence’ I had thoroughly enjoyed my time there. I had worked hard to build a good reputation based on trust and respect, gained expert knowledge in a wide range of different roles, and created a wonderful network of friends and colleagues. I was treated well in return; it was a great place to work, and I will always be grateful of my time there. However, the opportunity for a new beginning was appealing - it offered me a chance to challenge myself, to experience growth in a new area of work, to learn from different experts, to adapt to a new environment and culture and to prove to myself, and perhaps others, that I could thrive elsewhere.

And just like the arrival of spring, it has required bravery, energy and effort; letting go of what has been and embracing what is to come.

For many of us change is not easy. There is a wealth of academic literature exploring the impact of change on individuals with one of the most cited models, The Change Curve (based on the Kubler-Ross Grief Cycle) proposing that there are 5 stages for coping with change and loss: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance.

Thankfully, perhaps because I sought out a change rather than having it imposed, I am flourishing. Today, my line manager has just reminded me that it is my three-month anniversary and, although there have been challenges along the way, with undoubtedly more to come, I can look back and say the bravery, energy, and effort was worth it.

Just like my garden will be in three months’ time, with the full force of summer upon us, I am growing and adapting and thriving. I have a great team, supportive colleagues and boss, an exciting and interesting role, and a wealth of positive opportunities ahead. I am, however, mindful that my team went through a review and changes prior to me starting and that some of them may themselves be somewhere on that Change Curve, moving forward at varying speeds towards acceptance. Coping with change is very personal.

So, if you are currently feeling inspired by the occasional bursts of blue sky through the rain-filled clouds holding the possibility of a warmer weekend ahead and wonder if you have the capability and drive to make a significant change in your life, then cast off the cloak of self-doubt and set your mind to it.

In his popular self-help book, The Power of Positive Thinking, Norman Vincent Peale presents the concept that cultivating positive thoughts will lead to happiness and success in life. Research has also shown that positive thinking can reduce stress and play a significant role in promoting overall health and wellbeing.

One of my favourite quotes, commonly attributed to the Buddha is “The mind is everything; what you think, you become”. And, whilst it may be a stretch to suggest that plants have minds or are capable of thinking, we do know that they are sensitive to their environment and make positive changes in order to thrive. Each year, as spring conditions vary, plants adapt their behaviour to ensure survival, using water, light and temperature to determine when to develop new shoots, buds and leaves preparing themselves for the growing season ahead. They do so with a certainty and positivity that what they do and when they do it will lead to their long-term success.

The spring equinox signals a time when days are longer than nights, it is light for longer than it is dark, and change is all around. And whilst change can bring anger and despair, just like spring it can bring new beginnings, fresh hope, and the possibility of abundance.”