10/17/21 Blog Post
I am taking a Modern Elder Academy Course to help bridge the gap of closing much of our Urbane Management Business, and coming off of 60-Hour Workweeks for four decades to staring off into the woods for hours on end at my new living space. I have a few layers of “Transitions” unfolding. Closing a 20 year business, moving to an OffGrid Cabin, and searching for the Next Thing To Do. News Flash, Making a business or brand your Identity plays a price on you in a myriad of ways, many are painful. But maybe it doesn’t have to be, as the MEA excerpt below.
I wanted to post an update on how things are going, and maybe it might help other transitioners.. I am working on creating a brand around UrbaneFarm, UrbaneFarm is a purveyor of Hot Sauces, Fish Sauces, Salsas, BBQ Sauce, Pasta Sauce, Rubs, Flavored Salts, Chips, Beef Jerky and Unique Art. We are also growing a CutFlower Business. We are selling at a consignment store and online. We are adding a Grill Trailer for events and festivals to bring brand awareness to the products we sell. So, I am transitioning from Property Management to peddling Hotdogs, Sauces and Rubs. Hm,……..Not sure how that makes me feel, but more on that later
The Anatomy of a Transition, from the MEA Course
As paradoxical as it sounds, most transitions begin with an end. Your partner ends the relationship. You receive a health diagnosis that ends your period of wellness. You move out of your home. When an ending occurs, our habits, patterns, and routines are disrupted and nothing is going to be the same again. Something has to die for something new to be reborn. The life of the “comfortable caterpillar” is coming to a close. Whether we want it to or not.
Sometimes our endings are intentional in that we initiate them ourselves, and sometimes they are unexpectedly forced upon us by outside forces. Endings always represent a break with the past. And, let’s face it, endings are hard. They can be dramatic and awful. But they don’t have to be. Elegant or “regenerative” endings require as much skill and determination as chaotic or “regressive” ones. Endings can be incredibly painful. Yet they are vital in life as they create the space for something new to come into our lives.
Our society doesn’t like endings or the death of anything. We don’t like to talk about it or plan for it. If a relationship ends, it’s often considered “a failure.” If a job or career ends, it is considered “a loss.” This mindset results in a lot of wasted time that could be spent moving on, as well as unnecessary suffering—when we don’t realize that as soon as we let go of the shore of the past, we can ease into the center of the river and begin floating to our next destination in the future.
The point here being, Transitions have three phases, The Ending, Messy Middle and New Beginnings. How we choose to deal with these and think about Change can vastly alter our outcomes. I will keep you posted as to How It Is Going,……….
Eric is an Entrepreneur, Writer/Published Author, Real Estate Developer and an Apartment Operator.
