I once had a really fantastic hairdresser. My hair was at its absolute best when I went to her. I used to have to book the Saturday morning appointment with her 12 weeks in advance and she didn’t work evenings during the week. She cut beautiful hair and she wasn’t that pricey…but she was about 45 minutes away from me (highway driving) and she was always behind and always slow. Every six weeks I would give up 4 hours on a Saturday morning to go and get what should have been a 15 minute hair cut. Then my life changed and giving up half a Saturday for a trim became more trouble than it was worth.
I found a new hairdresser. She was right on my way home, had a salon chair in a barber shop. She cut alright hair (most of the time) and cost me $20 including a good tip. She didn’t require an appointment, just a call a couple hours in advance. It worked for me, it was on the way home, I could show up on a whim when I had time and it was inexpensive. After several months of going to her she changed her policy and decided that she needed proper appointments at least a week in advance so that she could plan the rest of her life. Then she raised her prices by 20%. Several months after that she decided she would no longer take credit or debit, cash only. Now, a barely average haircut required that I plan well in advance and remember to go to the bank and get cash. It became more trouble than it was worth.
The reason I got to thinking about this is because I stopped going to the barely average one awhile ago and she actually called me last night to see how I was (obviously to see if I needed to make an appointment). As much as she is a very nice woman and I liked chatting with her, things changed and the arrangement…relationship, if you will….evolved and no longer works for me. It’s not mean or rude, it’s just the way it is. As far as I’m concerned, if I have to make an appointment in advance and pay a goodly sum of money, I’m going somewhere that the haircut is guaranteed to be good. What once meshed no longer does.
It’s the same in life and friendships and relationships. I’ve quit Weight Watchers full stop now because the amount of exercise that I get and the way in which I eat no longer mesh with the program. It’s not their fault, I’ve just evolved outside of the standard bell curve of people whom Weight Watchers is highly effective for. I exercise at a very high intensity 4 times per week and in a month I’m going to start heavy lifting. That exercise alone changes everything let alone that I choose not to eat processed food and I’m eating higher protein than is standard WW etiquette. Weight Watchers is not meant for someone like me. It’s not their fault, they were upfront with their plan and their ideals. I choose to live outside of that program and that means that we no longer mesh.
It works in the reverse also. In my previous post about my friend/coworker/boss who is coming over tomorrow night I mentioned that we’ve worked hard to keep our friendship in the face of trying times. It’s not only that….it’s that we happen to have evolved seperately as women and now our paths cross in more ways than they don’t. It would be silly for us not to take advantage of that current circumstance since, depending on how either of us chooses to continue to move and grow, it may not work 6 months or a year from now.
So, because of a phone call from my ex hair dresser last night, I have come to appreciate the value in recognizing when things change to the point that they no longer work for me and need to be revised….and in the reverse, recognizing potential new relationships or ideals or programs and allowing myself to accept change for the better.
Do you recognize and make changes to ensure that your life flows smoothly for you at whatever point you’re at? Or do you keep things that may no longer work or fit because they are comfortable and/or you feel you owe it to it/them to try and keep things exactly like they were? Which is harder?
PS. I have a great hairdresser again, I’ll keep her until such time as it’s not working for me and then I’ll be on the hunt again…but here’s to hoping this one is a keeper!
Fitty vs Fatty 
I am constantly making changes, evolving to meet my life needs. I try to be aware of the things in my life and to be open to letting things go when they no longer work for me. I find it very empowering and self strengthening.
Of course, I haven’t always been this way, but have found in the past couple of years that being able to make necessary changes (however uncomfortable they may feel at the time) are essential to my survival.