Fall Is in the Air, and with It, Change

By Susan “Honey” Good

It’s 6:25 a.m. on a Saturday morning, and I’m sitting at the living room game table I usually appropriate for work every morning, writing and sipping delicious hot steaming coffee from my favorite French mug. Whenever I look up—which is often given the stunning panoramic view of Lake Michigan right outside our floor-to-ceiling windows—I’m treated to a stunning sunrise. And this morning, I realize something has changed significantly; the sun has moved south in the sky and is rearing its head a little later than usual. It lets me know fall is in the air.

I reminiscence about the marvelous summer that just passed, spent with my husband Sheldon Good, our pooch Orchid and our wide circle of family and friends. And I conjure up some of our more colorful, tumultuous and festive experiences, which I hope will grace your screens soon! I realize that if I had to use words to express the essence of my life between the spring and fall equinoxes this year, they would be bright and effusive to reflect all the razzle dazzle of a wonderful spring and summer. There was lots of love, lots of walks with Orchid, many divine summer days and the incredible beauty of nature everywhere we looked. Goodbyes mean new beginnings.

So as I bid good-bye to summer, it is with a natural sense of sadness. I will miss the beautiful gardens and greenery; the long, lazy walks; the al fresco dining; and the long hours of sunshine. But I also realize it is time to embrace fall, everything it has to offer and most significantly—the change it brings.

Fall, with its brisk air and back-to-work mindset, is a time to reenergize our minds with thoughts of new goals and new plans. I call fall my ‘thinking and take action’ season. It is a transitional season…even in clothing…which makes it challenging to negotiate but enlightening as we realize new ways of attaining our goals.

And so my mental endeavors rule fall and I have already begun to clarify my thoughts in order to achieve my goals. I am processing new ideas to harvest, and so should all of you. Now is the time to make your secret mental objectives reality.

This fall, I am harvesting two real biggies in my mind. Both are life-changing measures. One has been processed and is in the works. The other is no longer in the talking stage but rather at the point where I must make a major decision. And isn’t that what all of our lives are about–making decisions? What better time than the fall, with its promise of growth and change!

And so HoneyGood.com is geared up for galvanizing action to realize further potential.

Almost four years ago in the spring of 2013, I launched Honey Good on the advice of a writer. I began what was to become an unexpected journey. I became a writer. What I perceived as my newfound hobby turned into an ambitious undertaking, and a full-fledged business. And I began this extraordinary adventure in my 60s, with no business experience, no internet experience, no creative writing classes and only a love and enjoyment for what I was doing. But I did have a lot of chutzpah, a huge work ethic and a go-getter entrepreneurial spirit, which is how HoneyGood.com was born.

This past summer, I realized that I reached a crossroad. It was to forge ahead, or stay in the same safe, but contented place I have “lived in” since founding this site. Does that sound familiar in your lives? I decided to forge ahead and make the fall of this year my new starting point. I hired a new team to come on board, and with this new professional team HoneyGood.com is going to expand its scope into different realms. Stay tuned.

On a personal level, I have another biggie that has finally come front-and-center—and one that has been 26 years in the making. This fall, along with input from my husband Sheldon Good, I’m finally harvesting my thoughts of home and hopefully turning them into my reality. I want to live near the sea. I am a fish out of water in the desert, where we have spent six months each year since 1990. That’s 156 months spent in a foreign environment, trying to adapt. From the first day I lay my eyes on the desert, after living on the Island of Oahu for over ten years, I remember saying to my new husband, “There’s no greenery on the mountains!”

Will I ever leave the desert? Honestly, I’m not sure. But what better time to discuss a move than the fall of the year, when my husband and I can be inspired by thoughts of change and think things through together.

Those of you who live in areas with four seasons know what I’m talking about. Fall is a time to transition thoughts into actions. Family visits? Family vacations? A course at a university? Christmas and Hanukah gatherings? A trip with partners or friends abroad? New items to add to your wardrobe? Buying or renting a second home now that the children are gone? A new job or the start of a new endeavor?

It is fall, dear readers, and the time to think about change. Put on your thinking caps and turn your dreams into reality.

Susan “Honey” Good is the founder of HoneyGood.com where this blog originally appeared. The site is a collection of lessons learned, life advice and insights from not only her, but from a fantastic group of contributing writers, each adding their own spice to the recipe. Honey Good.com representing “a family tree of women” — wives, mothers, daughters, granddaughters, mothers-in-law, daughters-in-law, sisters, aunts, cousins and girlfriends — coming together to talk about what makes them tick as well as what they have in common. Honey Good discusses life experiences with wisdom, humor and intellect, enabling all to attain a “Honey Good Style of Life.”