We all know our lives move in cycles and when we look back on our decades, we can delineate those periods in the cycles. Sometimes we learn we live to a pattern and may be able to anticipate the next change or phase. Today, in doing some “studying” for my business, I arrived at a cool new way to describe and better understand those cycles. It’s called the Four Room Apartment and we are always living in one of the rooms.
The first room is called Contentment. People living in this room are peaceful and content with their life just the way it is and at this particular time, desire no change. It’s a comfort zone that just feels really good.
The second room is called Denial. People in this room have imitations of discontentment, but are unwilling to face it and have fears about doing so. They will hang out here until they begin to see that things must change, they cannot go on like this anymore and they begin to move into the next room.
The third room is Confusion. Here they are confused, but are seeking answers. This is a scary, but at the same time an exciting place to be because after awhile, the light at the the end of the proverbial tunnel begins to appear, signaling a move to the fourth room.
The fourth room is Renewal. This is where people finally give up all they’ve been clinging to, are ready for change, and begin reinventing themselves, to eventually land back into room one.
Such is life. Such has been my life over the decades. I stopped to think about where I was all last year and where I am now. Last year was definitely spent in the Denial room for about six months, the Confusion room for another six, and this last six has certainly been spent in rhe Renewal room. Know what that means? It means contentment is in my future. But I’m not ready for it yet. I love the Renewal room. It’s furnished with people, places, books, and opportunities – all new and unfamiliar and I want to hang out here and take my time and explore each one. I may get some things wrong. It may take awhile to find the right answers and do things the right way. There’s still a lot I don’t know. One thing I am sure about though, is I’m not ready for stillness. I want to rock about on the choppy sea for awhile and test the waters and see where I wash ashore.
And so, as another day goes by, right now Renewal is my favorite room, and…I have written.
Gosh, I know your rooms are not my rooms. But, I am not sure I can determine what they are, and I want to. Truth is, I think I live in a 30 room mansion and I visit the rooms now and again, in and out, running through, or hanging around.
Great post. Great food for thought.