I never thought about it until my son mentioned it the last time he was home.  We were hanging out in the family room and kitchen area when he looked up at the walls. “You know, you really need to repaint the kitchen and you need to get something new on the windows.”  I just stared at him as he went on. “It’s been that color for a long time and I think you need to update the whole thing”.

 

The first thing that surprised me was the fact that my son was noticing the decorating in the house.  The second thing to surprise me happened when I looked at the walls.  It was as if I was looking at the kitchen for the very first time in years, and I was shocked.  He’s right, I thought.  It’s been the same way for years and I really need to change the color and update the windows.  How did I not see that?

 

I was going for a walk last night without the dog.  I purposely didn’t take my music because I just wanted to enjoy the outdoors and hear the sounds around me.  I had walked a while and made it to a few streets beyond my neighborhood when I looked across the road.  There, in the front yard of a house, was the biggest dead tree I had ever seen.  I scanned the tree to see if it was, indeed dead, or if there was a least a piece of it still alive.  No, I was absolutely 100% sure that the tree was dead.  It was the first thing I saw when I looked into the yard.  To say it was an eyesore is an understatement.

 

I then ran through a number of scenarios as to why the owners had not done something about the tree.  Scenario Number 1 involved the possibility that they were hoping it was going to get healthier, but my gut said it had looked that way for a long time.  Scenario Number 2 involved the family not having the funds to remove the tree. Scenario Number 3 was the one that I decided made the most sense— they were so used to seeing the tree in the front yard that they really didn’t “see” it anymore.

 

Just like the update needed in my house, the owners probably didn’t even pay attention to it anymore.  They went about the business of living and were completely oblivious to the glaring eyesore in their front yard.

 

And the question for you is the following— what aspect of your life do you need to update?  What piece of your life needs a fresh eye? There’s a good chance you’re in need of some updating or renovation. Maybe it’s your relationship or possibly it’s your job. It’s great that you’ve found your groove, but it’s now become a deep rut. You’re so entrenched in the daily grind and life’s minutiae that you can no longer clearly see the big picture.

 

So, I’m asking you to take a step back and do an honest assessment. Take a hard look at the different aspects of your life and decide whether you are pleased with the direction you are headed.  Are you living your dreams or are you settling? Have you been ignoring an area that you need to address? Do you see the reality?

 

My suggestion to you is to not only take a fresh look at your life but when you note some needed updating, you get into action and make the changes. As for me, I’ll be at the store studying paint colors.

 

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