Allow yourself to be delightfully surprised

Change can be hard. Especially if it’s a change that’s been forced upon you rather than chosen.

Then, all kinds of resistance, doubts and fears can come up.

Last week I spoke about a major change I’m going through right now - moving back to the UK after almost two years of living and working nomadically.

Full disclosure: while I have zero doubts about wanting to be in the UK to help take care of my dad, and spend quality time with my family, as soon as I’d made the decision to have a home in the UK again I experienced quite a bit of anxiety.

The two years before I left the UK had been a really unhappy time for me, and the two years since have been extraordinarily happy. I suppose it was inevitable that some fear would come up at the thought of returning.

During one of my panics I decided to meditate, and as so often happens when I take the time to still my mind, I was gifted with a great insight:

Why don’t you allow yourself the possibility of being delightfully surprised?

It was such a simple and sweet shift in perception.

And so gentle in its suggestion.

No ‘Ra-ra-ra! You’ve got this, girlfriend!’ motivational speaker-speak. It was more like the voice of a wise older woman, peering at me over her tea cup, little finger extended obviously, asking, ‘Why don’t you allow yourself the possibility of being delightfully surprised, my dear?’ before offering me a slice of battenberg cake.

Anyway, the message from my inner Miss Marple landed and in the weeks running up to me moving into my new property, any time I felt fear getting the better of me, I’d take a breath and remind myself that I might in fact, be delightfully surprised by my change in circumstances.

And dear reader, although it’s early days and I only moved in to my new property last Sunday, a state of delightful surprise is pretty much all I’ve been feeling.

I was delightfully surprised to be invited to watch my son play cricket, with his dad and our daughter-in-law, the moment I arrived. And delightfully surprised to discover that the cricket ground was surrounded by beautiful woodland. And even more delightfully surprised when the other team turned up late, and drunk - and continued swigging from their bottles of beer and hurling hilarious insults at each other while fielding!

Since then I’ve been delightfully surprised at expanding my newfound love for sustainable living through secondhand clothes into the world of home interiors and sourcing some wonderful bargains for my new home from my local charity shops.

I picked up this cheery Habitat cup for just £2.

And we found 5 lovely, good as new cushions for our living room for a grand total of £15.

I also snapped up this set of two pots for £2.50 and one is now my pen-holder and the other, home for my toothbrushes.

Delightful surprises one and all!

As was this sparkly key-ring my talented sister made me, to celebrate my being a key owner again!

Soooo, if you’re feeling a little apprehensive about an impending change in your life, I’d love it if you used my Miss Marple style mantra to help you navigate any doubts or fears, and ask yourself: ‘Why don’t you allow yourself the possibility of being delightfully surprised, my dear?’

Maybe you could do some musing / journalling about what these delightful surprises might be, to expand your mind to include hope as well as fear.

Until next week, I’m clinking my second hand tea cup to yours in delightful anticipation - and of course, offering you a virtual slice of battenberg!

Siobhan