Change, Transformation, Evolution

Shift is happening

Reminder! This is Post #198 in the countdown to 200!! The celebration is scheduled for Valentine’s Day, Friday, February 14. The theme of love prevails❣️

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My Front Yard ©Gemignani. Old Fort Lauderdale Beach, FL circa 2002

Change

The image above captures a memory. The location still exists, but not the quirky lifeguard stand, nor the man who created the photo artistry.

This entrance to Fort Lauderdale Beach is at the end of the street where Joe and I spent our first two blissful years of marriage, which is why Joe named the image “My Front Yard.”

He’d grown up in Brooklyn. His old neighborhood is now considered a coveted address called Park Slope. When he lived there, it was called South Brooklyn.

Joe described his teen years there as “West Side Story but without the music.” Prior to that, it was a working class neighborhood of mostly Italian, Irish, and Polish families.

Like neighborhoods and iconic landmarks, people change, transform, and evolve. So much contributes to the process: technology, aging, culture, trends, to name a few.

As Jimmy Buffet sang, “These changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes;
Nothing remains quite the same.”

Certainly not children.

Transformation

Almost two years ago, my eldest granddaughter, Lacie, celebrated a birthday and graduated elementary school.

After consulting with my son on what to gift her for these milestones, I discovered that she already had every “nice” present I was considering buying for her. Like many children, she was missing no-THING.

Not being a fan of “stuff,” I was thrilled when we stumbled upon a better idea.

Lacie had never been out of the state of Florida or on an airplane. So I flew her and my son to Asheville for a few days with Grandma and then we embarked on a road trip.

I drove them home.

It was a double-duty solution. It gave my granddaughter an experience she’ll always remember, and it gave me company on a long drive I was hesitant to make alone. (Yes, I did have to drive back by myself but, as I suspected, by the end of the week I was ready for the alone-time.)

Like any experience shared with others, we have our individual takeaways. For her, it was a cool, new adventure. For me, it was an opportunity to observe and get to know this sweet preteen girl away from her little brother and the distractions she has at home.

As a “long distance” grandma, I don’t have day-to-day or even frequent contact with my grandchildren. So it’s not uncommon for me to be pleasantly surprised with their growth in size and abilities each time we are together. But this visit enabled me to learn things I cannot get from a photo, phone call, or hectic visit with the whole family.

And while the physical changes we observe as children grow are quite obvious, it’s the subtle development that makes the real difference in who they become as individuals. Although we indulged in a host of fun activities, what lit her up the most was the afternoon spent at an art studio where she painted a mountain landscape on canvas.

She didn’t use the templates provided. She drew her image freehand in pencil and picked her colors from the array of possibilities. Then she sat, completely absorbed in her craft, for about an hour and a half until it was complete.

The final product was impressive, and not just by grandma’s standards. A self-taught artist, she exhibited remarkable mastery of using highlights and contrast, creating the various shades by mixing colors on her palette.

More important than the quality of her talent to me, however, was the pleasure I witnessed in her absorption while she painted. Instead of the blank face she exhibits while staring at the screen of one of her devices, she was engaged and radiant in the act of creation. I saw her true self emerge, and it was beautifully, uniquely her.

That’s an image that will remain in my mind’s eye and heart, no photo needed.

Evolution

It’s been said that the one constant you can count on in life is change.

I prefer shift. To me, “shift” implies graceful, intentional movement, while “change” is typically rugged and often sudden or unwanted.

Change is a tornado, hurricane, or uncontrollable wildfires devastating neighborhoods and lives. It could also be a new, radically different government administration.

Shift is conscious choice. You may come to it as a result of an unwanted change, but you decide how you will respond and move forward.

2025 has already delivered many changes both globally and on a national scale in the United States. For some, the changes are welcomed but for many, not at all.

Yet even when faced with daunting situations that you cannot control, you can choose your response and take action to favor yourself.

Shift is possible.

What makes shift possible is mindset. And what is mindset?

Mindset is the beliefs or attitudes that shape a person’s thinking. Often your mindset is not even your own. It’s something you adopted/absorbed via your upbringing or education.

Yet mindset will determine your behavior and response to a given situation. So it’s important to examine if your beliefs/attitudes still serve you.

Here’s the great news: You can change your mind(set).

Adopting a new way of looking at a situation can be the answer to relieving stress, overwhelm, and even despair. Why? Because it puts you back in control.

Shift leads to the evolution of your soul.

As you make conscious adjustments to your mindset in response to new situations, you grow as a human being. You open your mind to solutions and expansion of possibility.

Evolution is not limited to people. Culture evolves as do institutions and even publications 😉

In a few weeks, with its 200th post, this publication will change its name to reflect an evolving mindset and collective energy.

The new name represents a shift toward focus on solutions to the current changes in the world via development of new mindsets and behaviors that support individual and collective growth.

In addition to a new title, the publication will offer a co-creative approach with many new features.

I am so excited for prospects of what will emerge.

I don’t want reveal any more spoilers, so…

Until next time… My best, Shelley

P.S. Remember Valentine’s Day is the Reveal date! Only two posts away ♥️