New Leaves

Welcome to the New Year, everyone. It’s 2026, and according to the Chinese Zodiac, 2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse. In numerology, 2026 is considered a “Universal 1 Year,” which signifies the beginning of a new nine-year cycle and a time for new directions. Both of these things occurring in the same year can signal a powerful combination for new beginnings. This year is a time to try new ventures, be courageous, and find a more authentic path forward. I plan to make good use of the aligned forces to forge a new path.

It has been six months since I left my job. It has been a challenging process to let go of my work-related roles. I now realize my identity was closely linked to the things I was able to accomplish. Discovering who I am and what’s next didn’t happen quickly. It has taken time to grieve, reflect, and understand what my plans for the future might be. I now consider myself semi-retired. I still do consulting for my business but no longer work for anyone else. Semi-retired isn’t the greatest title, but it’s where I am for now. Maybe I’ll find a part-time job in the future, but I am no longer actively looking for work.

I have come to realize I want to continue my work of making a difference. Volunteering is something I want to do and have joined two organizations to begin weekly volunteering. They both are with reputable organizations that support issues I feel are important. Surprisingly, neither organization is education-related. I plan to look into a few other suggestions provided for volunteering as well. I want to be fluid and flexible about how often I’d like to volunteer and be sure my interests are genuine when doing so.

The adjustment of having my youngest child head off to college was hard at first, but it’s going better. I had to pull back on the daily advice and just be available as needed. My mothering mode is strong, and scaling down has been an adjustment. I’m available for all of my kids but impose less and listen more. I didn’t realize how much of my relationship with my kids was me giving suggestions and ideas that I thought would help them. I still do that on occasion, but not nearly as much. Watching and waiting for your child to figure things out on their own isn’t always enjoyable, but in the end, it makes them more confident.

I’ve taken up new hobbies to include bowling, tai chi, learning to cook Asian food, and even renewed my library card. I plan to try more new things to see what might interest me. When on the search for hobbies, I read a suggestion to go back to your childhood and remember what made you happy. I have always loved bowling, even though I was never a good bowler. Growing up in the 70s and in the Midwest, bowling was a common activity for kids and adults. My husband has also taken up bowling and loves it. We take advantage of the senior bowling discount as we work to improve our skills. Bowling and tai chi are more challenging than they appear, but it feels good to be working toward improvements.

Continuing to write my blog will be my creative outlet, as well as a way to understand the changes I am going through. The process of leaving work didn’t go smoothly for me. I assumed that my unhappiness was related to working, but it turns out there were other reasons that I needed to address. I feel much better now and hopefully can take the new lessons learned to live in a more authentic way.

Time has been the greatest factor in my feeling and doing better. The old cliché is true that time does help with healing. I’m grateful to have had time to adjust. I hope sharing my journey will help others feel better about taking new opportunities and being patient. Change can be uncomfortable, but allowing things to evolve will make the process smoother.

I’ve learned things are not done for me. I have a lot more to do and become. Here’s to a new year to make things happen.