Mary E. Knippel March 2024 Column Unleash a Change in You This Spring! | страница 6

RHG MagazineTM - March 2024 © All rights reserved.

Unleash a Change in You This Spring!

I’d like to take a minute to remind you that you are a change maker, and you have the power to craft a life you love starting right now. This moment. This Spring!

Yes, you! Every time you make a choice to achieve a goal, follow a different path, and step forward towards a new belief, you are consciously choosing to follow your dreams. It would be so much easier to make the safe choice. To stay the course of what has been done before. To do what is expected of you by those who know and love you.

You know it’s time. You know the time is now and that’s why you are choosing to create a new normal for yourself.

I'll use an extreme example of royal weddings to illustrate my point about creating a new normal. I have been fascinated by all the pomp and ceremony of royal weddings for a long time as illustrated by the picture accompanying this blog.

And it illustrates what I’ve shared with you before: your personal story is connected with the universal story.

Once upon a time while I was pursuing my dream of a college degree, I had the opportunity to study in London for Spring quarter. The program was sponsored by the University of Minnesota. I would receive college credit, lodging was all set up, as well as all the curriculums. Excursions to plays were not only included, but attendance was also required. And we took our own professor along! It was a glorious experience.

I was working part-time for my tuition as a secretary and had no savings to finance the expense. This was too good of an opportunity to pass up. Most of my family thought I was crazy for quitting a perfectly good job to go to school full time in the first place. Now I wanted to go abroad to study for three months. More crazy behavior and positively not normal by their standards.

What did I do? I did what any other college freshman would do. I got a student loan and had the time of my life!

I was in London Spring of ’81 when Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer were preparing for their nuptials. The blue mug was among my souvenirs from my college adventure.

Three decades later, a dear friend, and one of my classmates on that life-changing trip, and I made an anniversary trip back to London. Preparations were in full swing for the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. We celebrated another royal wedding, our friendship and created new memories.

It only seemed fitting that I add to my collection when the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Megan Markel was in the making. Although I didn't have the opportunity to purchase my new porcelain treasure in person, the internet proved a valuable tool in assisting me to hop over the pond.