The New Normal: Change, Grief, Growth

Hello and welcome. Welcome, welcome, welcome. I'm excited to be here with you today. Come in, say hello, join us. It's 12:30 here in Minnesota. The sun is shining. Very excited to be here. We are today talking about transitions, and this actually could not be more clear for me. Could not strike me any clearer. I have just started a new job. Hello, good morning. Or good morning, good lunchtime, good afternoon. It's not morning anymore, I guess. Yeah. So I've just started a new job. And so transition is like front of mind, right?

Everything is kind of changing and fluctuating. And so to today, obviously, my word of the day is change. Lots has changed this week for me from when I do the laundry to when I make dinner to when I put my shoes on for the first time, right? To everything. When you take a shower, when you exercise, right. Once you start, you're back on a schedule. You kind of. It shifts and changes everything. Any of you that are job seekers know that it's glorious to have some time to do things at your own will and at your own time, but it's also very stressful in a variety of different ways.

And so going back to work was exciting, right. But also a time for a lot of change and for a lot of you, too. Transitions are happening. If you have children going back to school or, you know, you're closing up cabins for the winter or whatever it might be, this is definitely a transition time for a lot of people. And I know I'm not alone in that. I know there's a lot of people. People going through transitions right now. I think for me, a lot of it has been for this week anyway, just kind of relearning how to be a professional, how to work in the workforce, and how to be somebody who, you know, is dependable and reliable and can learn quickly, right?

All of the things when you start a new job. And for me, a lot of it's internal, right? Finding relearning where I fit in a new organization, how to listen and learn in different ways, right? When you're with a company or when you're working with people for many, many years, you kind of just. It comes naturally. But relearning, that has been something that I've had to do also. Hello. Speak. Wonder. Also, I have found just how you show up, right? It's been two days in the office. I'm working from home today.

But two days in the office and learning who's gonna be where and when and when do people show up and, you know, emotions all over the place, all over the place, just in. In terms of starting a new opportunity. And many of, you know, if you've. If you and I have spoken before, hello, 1%, if you have been with me before. My last role was one of my favorite jobs I've ever had before it ended. And so, you know, I went through a variety of times of where I grieved the people, I grieved the work, I grieved the value that I brought, and this kind of brought that back.

In all honesty, I think when I started this new job, all of the things, right, I talked about the changes of how you show up and you kind of have to relearn, relearn how to be that person, right? And so I kind of started to grieve again those people that I had worked with previously, the work that I had done. And honestly, I love these new people. They have been gracious, they've been welcoming, they have been. They've made me incredibly comfortable. They've given me space to learn, right? And so no shade on them.

They're amazing. But it's also grieving the old, right? And really thinking about what you loved and realizing that it's going to be different moving forward. And I think that's. That's for a lot of things in life, right? That's not just for transitions in the workplace, but that's also for a lot of things. When you make a big change or you realize you have to let something go, you're going to grieve it, right? Especially if it's something that you really loved. So I've told myself that this transition was going to be different.

It was going to be good for me. It was going to be hard, but it was going to be good for me. Good afternoon. Good afternoon. Junk food. Oh, gosh, I could use some good junk food right now. But relearning what it feels like to become comfortable, being uncomfortable, right? And that's a big thing that I feel like is I haven't had to do, right? Because I've been so comfortable with the people. I've been comfortable with the work. And it's gonna. This new role, right? I'm gonna learn new skills. Yeah.

All changes last. Yes. Yes. Agree. All loss needs to be mourned in some way, shape or form, right? Depending on the impact that it had on your life. And this new role has given me an opportunity to reshift where how learn new things and build new relationships, meet new people, learn new things in different ways, develop those relationships strong either working or friend Relationships, depending on how you work with your colleagues. And still, I think as much as I tell myself all of these wonderful things about this change, I think I still really grieve the old.

I really grieve the people and the place and the impact and the value that I brought. And so I know eventually I'm going to get in the groove and I'm going to experience these things in different ways and in different waves of time. It's also, though, gonna give me a chance to savor the old. And that's one thing that I'm really excited about. Yeah. Yeah. Write down in a journal, actually. That's great. Transition. I wanted to talk about that. One thing I've been doing is savoring kind of the old, but also really trying to savor what I have right in front of me.

And that, you know, for a lot of things is. Is relationships, is time, is the ability to learn something new. Right? And the grace and the community that I am, that I have and the support of loved ones and friends and family and really thinking about those things as you transition. And so junk food junkie, that was right. Right up my alley, right? Savor those things. Think about the. The things that you really loved and the things that you're gonna miss, but the things that you get moving forward.

And I think that's one thing that I. This week I'm really trying to focus on is, is that I know it's hard, right? And I know it's going to be hard for a short period of time, but eventually it's just gonna be like the old, right? I'm gonna make new friends, I'm gonna learn new things. I'm gonna build a new community. And that's what I'm really excited about. And today I'm grateful for you all. This has been something that I feel like over the past month, you've experienced the highs and lows of all of these things with me.

And so starting this new chapter of my life, it. To have you. Or only whatever that word is. Right to have you. Only right to have you come along and experience this new transition with me. And hopefully you'll continue to give me grace as I learn to share these words with you. I think one thing I've really learned from Cadre is how to be more introspective, how to reflect, how to think, how to learn, how to build community with you all. And I think that has been, for me, anyway, something that I savor every single time I get to sit down with you.

So thank you thank you. Yes. Thank you. Build a new circle of friends. Yep. That's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna keep the old, though, right? I don't want to get rid of those people that I worked with before. I wanna keep them as close as I can because they are definitely a. A huge support for me. So thank you so much, Cadre, for all you have continued to give and let me be my. My authentic self. And you bring me joy. So thank you. Be well. Take care, and go find something that brings you joy today, because I think it's important.

I gotta get back to work. Right? Like, it doesn't stop now, huh? I need a day off. Oh, Labor Day's coming. All right, everybody. Enjoy your day. See ya. Have a good time.