The Start of a New Chapter

You can’t start the next chapter of your life until you close the last one. This might sound obvious, but sometimes we need a demonstration to understand the simplest lessons.

Recently, I sold a home and attended the closing. If you have never closed on a home, imagine combining the anticipation of a trip to the dentist’s office with the pizzazz of a jail cell. There are better ways to spend your afternoon.

As I sat across from the buyers, listening to a lawyer read the finer points of the contract, I began to reminisce. A wave of memories washed over me as I thought about why I bought the home in the first place.

At one point in my life, that house was absolutely perfect. Living there, I was minutes from the office and just one street away from my son, Chris, and his new family. My daughter Lauren was about to have a child, and the house was plenty big for all of us. When I bought the home, I thought I would live there forever.

That was the beginning of a chapter in my life marked by growth. Pure Romance grew, and I spent less time at the office and more time on the road spreading empowerment. Chris’ family outgrew the home just one street away from mine. Lauren welcomed a new child into the world, and suddenly the walls in the house felt a little closer, the rooms a tad smaller. It wasn’t long before her family moved to a home of their own.

My children had done what every mother hopes for—they sprouted strong wings so they could fly on their own. The home that had been filled with so much laughter, so much warmth was eerily silent and cold. I knew it was time to go. I was ready for the next chapter of my life to begin.

Looking back that house was perfect, if only for a few years. I was always within arm’s reach of my two dearest loves, my family and Pure Romance. The house had served its purpose. As this came to me at the closing, I took a long look across the table at the couple buying the house. Excitement shined on their eager faces. I hope the house serves its purpose for them, too.

This situation plays itself out in all aspects of our lives. The homes, the jobs, the people in our lives might be perfect for us today, but that doesn’t mean they will be perfect for us forever. And that’s OK. Our attitudes evolve, our priorities change. Unexpected doors open and new chapters begin in our lives.  This is what makes life fresh and exciting.

Today, I am opening a new chapter in my blog. It’s a little scary, knowing that whatever I have to say is going out to the entire world. But it is also tremendously exciting to have another way to connect with women.

The next time any chapter in your life closes, appreciate the good times and learn as much as you can from the experience. You’ll enter the next chapter a stronger person.