As the new year dawns, it is a time for reflection. This year, the path laid out before me is tied to the title of this post – Anicca.

Anicca
(in Theravada Buddhism) the belief that all things, including the self, are impermanent and constantly changing: the first of the three basic characteristics of existence

(https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/anicca)

This is a term that I was introduced to through my mentor, François Lemay. François is a fervent proponent of this idea, that everything changes. Nothing in life is permanent. If you’re unhappy, that will change; if you are happy, that will change. The idea is to not become attached to any given situation because it will continue to change. If you are not attached to it, you will be more readily able to react calmly when things continue to change.

The first sign of change for me comes on January 21st. After a little over 5 years in my current role, I will be transitioning to a new job within the company. I am stepping away from my leadership role, leading a team of nearly 20 individuals, and moving into an individual contributor role reporting directly to my Director.

This new job is a big change for me. I’ve been comfortable in my role for the past five years. My team is tightly knit; they are highly engaged and work extremely well together. It was a pleasure to not only watch them grow and develop, but to know that I played a part in that transformation. But I was getting to the point of complacency in what I was doing. Had I remained where I was much longer, I would have fallen fully into autopilot mode; I was already partly there.

I had not been looking, actively, for a new opportunity, but this one crossed my path and I could not ignore it. As scary as it is to move away from a role that I am very successful and comfortable in, the chance to take on a new challenge, to stretch myself and to help myself grow and develop, outweighed the fear.

Another change for me comes in the form of a vacation destination. Ironically, on the first day in my new role, January 21st, I will be arriving in the Dominican Republic. This will be my first trip to the Caribbean. I’m excited to add another country to my passport, as I’ve never left continental North America. With my wife’s change of jobs in 2018 came a bit of freedom. As a high school resource teacher, we could not readily travel whenever we wanted. We were restricted to the summer months, over Christmas or early March for Spring break. The latter two being some of the most expensive times to travel. And I’m not exactly keen on going to a beach resort in the middle of the summer. But that all changed in September when Isabelle moved to a new job working for the Ministry of Education.

The opportunity to take a trip to a 4.5 star resort in Punta Cana crossed our paths at the last moment. There was one double occupancy room left with a group traveling on January 21st. We had only a few days to book before the window closed. We ignored the fear and panic about how to pay for it, and booked the trip. Now, we have a new adventure awaiting us in just a few short weeks.

I know that there will be more change to come in 2019. It’s the one thing I can state with certainty — everything changes. It’s time to drop the shackles of worry, doubt and uncertainty and to accept the impermanence of everything. Time to let myself soar, and see where the winds will take me.

Anicca

And you, my dear readers, what changes await you in the new year?  Are you willing to try something new?  Will you let something go that does not serve you any longer?  What are the limiting beliefs that are holding you back?  Dare to change those beliefs…what’s the worst that can happen?