Sometimes life takes you down an unpredictable path and you find yourself standing at the threshold of a new home or even a new life. By the time you read this I will have walked down the aisle in Waterton as I marry my sweetheart on June 22. If you had told me five years ago that my life would take this direction I would have laughed, having no idea what the future would bring.

I have met two new couples who are in the same campground we are, spending the summer by the lake. The interesting thing is that in the past year they have both sold their homes and live in their (huge) RV’s year round, splitting their time between here and warmer climates in the winter. They both admit to having had a great deal of anxiety in getting rid of their possessions and committing to a home on wheels but all agree that there is peace in this unfettered lifestyle.

Have you ever turned that thought over in your mind? Selling it all and seeing our beautiful country through the window of an RV? How about downsizing to a smaller condo with more manageable square footage giving you the freedom to travel and see the world? I admit to having this fantasy from time to time as I know dear friends who have traded it ‘all’ in to live in an 800 sq. ft. apartment just for the experience of living and working in Japan. It is both terrifying and exhilarating to imagine a new way of life in unfamiliar surroundings.

That same fear of the unknown can come to you in smaller doses as well. I see trepidation in clients all the time as they venture to build their first home or invest in new interiors. Change is good for our psyche and that uncomfortable feeling that is chewing at you is actually a positive thing. Learning a new task or participating in a new experience causes us to think in challenging ways and I believe it does wonders for our brain. “If you practice a new skill, the area of the brain responsible will change. For practice to make perfect, the brain actually alters its physical structure. Even into old age, learning a new skill changes the structure and function of the brain.” (Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2987151)

I am working with dear clients who have not changed their interior in 23 years. At first they were afraid, then they were anxious and now I see an excitement in them as they await their wonderful new carpets, countertops, glass tile and paint. It’s like watching kids waiting for Christmas – truly the most rewarding part of my job. I get to walk through this process with people and watch them either embrace the unknown or allow it to cause them anxiety.

Embrace the change! If you have decided to renovate or build it is time to relax your spine and go with the flow. This is a time of many decisions which will result in a beautifully designed home. If you allow the process to wash over you and don’t stress the change that is happening you will enjoy the creativity. Your brain will stretch and adapt as you redesign your life, the rewards are twofold.

Kim Meckler is an interior designer in Red Deer with Carpet Colour Centre.