002 catalyst

So what exactly has been triggered me to change? There’s clearly plenty that I’ve been dissatisfied with. Why now?

The analogy that springs to mind, is that of the Australian Bush. Over time, the trees drop their leaves, lazily forming layers and drifts. The sun bakes and cracks the earth. The weeds come, grow and dry out. New life struggles to get a foothold. It chokes on the dust. The scene is set. The Bush holds its breath.

Then One Day, the air becomes thick with moisture and cloying heat. It crackles with anticipation. The wind comes, tussling the trees and conjuring up dust devils. Then! There is a sudden flash. The sky is split asunder. The earth is trembling and shaken by the mighty roar of thunder. Fire leaps into the sky. Flames race each other across the ground. In no time at all, everything is aflame. What is old is turned to ash in the blink of an eye.

The rain comes, and the fire passes. The Bush is weeping. In thanks.

So back to the opening question – what was the trigger? In my case, it was sitting down with my wife and kids to watch a documentary called “The Minimalists“, which recently appeared on Australian Netflix. Even though it was getting late, to my surprise, everyone watched it through to the end. We started talking about how much “stuff” we have, and how much of it lies around, gathering dust, nestling in boxes. Also, we were reminded about how much time is spent unproductively. Staring at screens. Ignoring the people around us.

The following morning I decided to change. Straight away.