Cycle of Renewal

I <3 Psychology.

I also <3 blogging.  So I'm letting myself write one post every time I finish another paper for school.  (Yay, me!)  =)  This will be several random thoughts, followed by one deeper train of thought....

• "Mock! -- Yeah. -- Ing! -- Yeah."  ......That's right, they are officially filming Dumb & Dumber 2 (with Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, not the painful Dumb & Dumberer crew) ...it's 18 years later, but still, how psyched am I!?  =)
• They're also making Anchorman 2, which is fun, but not quite as thrilling.  "I'm Ron Burgundy?"
• It has been almost a year since the wedding of William and Kate.  Craziness!  I know this because I bought US Weekly's "Anniversary Album" yesterday. lol  Prince Harry is definitely the hottest brother now.  And Kate is freaking awesome, and the only celebrity that makes me think fashion is exciting.  I want to be her when I grow up. lol 

• Birthday party for Triston and Carter tomorrow.  Get excited!
• Also, it's been decided that "Get excited" should be the phrase on my Save the Date cards when I get married.  I think they were probably joking, but that's happening. :)
• My last random thought is that I'm sooooo ridiculously tired right now.  I must get better at time management, and somehow less aware of all that is 'hanging over my head' still to be done.  I'm getting up early to drive to OKC tomorow, so I fully plan to sleep in this Sunday.  (Then I'll go see Titanic for the final time in theaters, exactly 100 years to the date after the sinking.)  And don't judge me; I'll watch a sermon online tomorrow. :)

Okay, diving deeper now...

One of the most interesting things I've learned lately is the "Cycle of Renewal."  [All this is in the Life Launch book by McLean and Hudson.]  There are four phases:

1. GO FOR IT!!  ~ The phase many people love most.  This is when we feel alive and passionate,  really going for a specific goal or dream.  We're making purposeful choices and seeing the potential and purpose in everything we do.  It is awesome (I'm in this one right now with school)... but it will not last forever.
2. THE DOLDRUMS ~ This is when what once was super-exciting becomes unfilfilling.  In this stage of life, we feel trapped and unhappy, like everything about our life is stuck in a rut, but we don't believe there is much we can do to change the situation.  The book said the most important thing to do here is to notice that you are in this phase.  And that 90% of the time, you can make a "mini-transition" to put you back in the "Go for it" phase.  When it's something bigger and a mini-transition is not going to cut it, the next phase is:
3. COCOONING ~ This means detaching from all that is no longer meaningful and taking an emotional 'time out' to heal and reflect... this happens when we take a major courageous leap of faith or when an extenal crisis pushes us to a breaking point. According to the book, this only happens a handful of times in any person's life (although I can already think of 3 in my own).  In this phase, you decide that your own inner voice is more reliable than anyone else.  You read a lot, lay around a lot, breathe, cry, and give yourself time to really mourn and/or process through all that has changed.  It usually lasts several months, but leads to renewed purpose and hope.
4. GETTING READY  ~ This is just what it says - researching and networking and getting excited about possible new options and adventures.  Trying out some new things, seeing what fits and what doesn't.  Deciding what needs to change in you and what you want the next chapter of life to be... and then, you're back to Stage 1!

What I love (and the following is just my personal thoughts, so don't blame the book if it makes no sense) is how these phases correspond to the four seasons...

Phase 1 = Summer, when everything is vibrant and in full bloom 

Phase 2 = Autumn, when the leaves are beginning to change and fall away

Phase 3 = Winter, when things slow down and the main life and growth is happening internally

Phase 4 = Spring, when there are signs of new life and color everywhere

Four seasons of epic tree-bridge awesomeness!!

What I love even more is how this all corresponds to the four personality types...

Summer = Drivers, who tend to be sure of themselves and full of vibrant energy (Go for It!)

Autumn = Analyticals, who tend to be pessimistic and avoid taking major risks (The Doldrums)

Winter =  Amiables, who tend to be introspective, highly sensitive, and quiet (Cocooning)

Spring = Expressives, who are 'colorful,' warm, and eager to embrace new adventures (Getting Ready)

Yes, friends, I am a WINTER, which is complete perfection in my mind.  It has long been my favorite season, and so many people fail to appreciate its beauty.  As for the phases, they rotate just like the seasons as we move through our lives.  And I guess God is like the sun that is always there regardless of weather.  Anyway, I don't mean to imply that any personality type is stuck in a certain phase, only that a certain phase may feel most natural to each of us.  And it's true... I love the concept of "cocooning," of slowing down, detaching, and letting God do something deep in my heart that transforms me and allows me to move forward with renewed hope and purpose!  It's not just that I love getting back to Phase 1, but that I appreciate the whole cozy cocooning process.

One more time, with my happy text additions. :)  I just love all this!  Perhaps I'll get to teach a class on it someday.?  Anyway, this might make more sense for those who are visual.  The white text is all about personalities and the color is the seasons of change.

Anyway, the "cycle of renewal" provides a mini road map for change.  It's comforting that God is always there, that each phase is important, and that no one phase lasts forever.  When you feel stuck in The Doldrums, you can stay proactive and focus on improving your current situation... or possibly beginning an entirely new chapter of life.  ...Okay, I'm really done writing now.

Something totally ridiculous:  I'm listening to The Simpsons Movie in the background as I write all this. lol  "Spiderpig, Spiderpig, does whatever a Spiderpig does!" :)