You can listen to the audio version of this post below.

This is a part of the October blog challenge. You can find the other posts here.

Rumour has it that every 7 years we become an entirely different person.

I did a number of internet searches to verify this. Some said that this was a scientific fact, according to Rudolph Steiner and other scientists. Others suggested that it was speculation, and that there is no definitive proof that it happens. Personally, I like to believe that it is true, and that in 7 years, I could be a completely different person standing in front of you.

And after all, I think about how much I have changed over the years. What is hilarious about it, is that I never see it coming. I think about all of the things I have done as an adult that I thought I would NEVER do when I was a child. Eat avocado and aubergine (eggplant) - two foods I despised as a child but which I now absolutely love! Eat cheese (which used to actually make me physically sick). Drink alcohol and buy a standing mixer (I wrote about this in my original blog  series and you can check out that post here). 

It is almost impossible for us to anticipate how we will change with events in our lives. I am reminded of a book I read some time ago - What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty - where a woman wakes up to realize that she has forgotten the past 10 years of her life. I wrote a review of it, and here is an excerpt from that post:

I won’t give away the story, but this book is about a lady Alice who woke up one day after hitting her head and could not remember the last 10 years of her life. It is a story about life, about families, and about time.

It got me thinking - what would happen if I woke up and forgot the last 10 years of my life, and the 31 year old version of myself found herself here in 2019. I wonder what would confuse me most of all.

Would it be that the guy from the American version of the Apprentice was running the USA? Would I wonder where all the DVD’s disappeared to? Why my phone was the size of a small TV? What about why everything hurt all the time!

The book was definitely a reminder to me that a lot can change in ten years - even though it may not feel that way while we are living in it. It reminded me of an interesting truth - that as time goes by each individual experience we have can chip away at us and gradually erode away certain parts of us, while adding on other aspects until we become unrecognizable versions of ourselves…

There were so many other factors (that determine how events can affect us). Sometimes something can happen to us and we are strong and resilient and connected. But let that same thing happen when we are exposed and isolated, and we will react in an entirely different way. It taught me to be more compassionate towards others, and to myself - and this book was a reminder of that for me.

The past 7 years have felt transformational for me, but looking back, I realize the truth in the rumour that I really am a different person every 7 years or so. I thought it might be fun to list 7 things that have changed for me in the past 7 years and I would also love to know -  what changed for you?

1. I am a writer. I could not have anticipated 7 years ago that I would be a published author and a blogger with a serious writing habit. This has been a pleasant surprise to me, and I look forward to seeing what the next 7 years brings.

2. I walked down the catwalk. For someone who was waaaaay more comfortable behind the camera taking photos than I ever was in front of it,  if you had told me I would be modelling, I would not have believed you. You can read more here about what made me decide to do it, but it really was one of the best decisions I made, and it made me step out of my comfort zone in unimaginable ways. 

3. I wrote a romance novel! As someone who barely even used to read romance novels, that is something I never thought I would do! And it was THE MOST FUN that I had in a long time. Grab a digital copy here if you want to check it out.

4. I am a coach. 7 years ago I don’t think I had even heard about coaching or knew what it was. Now, I have taken certifications, and even coached clients who have written books, published articles and launched products through their challenges. I have met some amazing folks along the way, and it has definitely been an unexpected piece of the journey.

5. I read non-fiction. In my twenties and thirties, I barely read any non-fiction, but these days I almost always have one on the go. They range from self-help, to a more journalistic style on topics that interest me, and I have really enjoyed many of them in the past few years.

6. My TV choices have changed. I used to binge watch Law and Order, CSI and other TV dramas such as Heroes and Lost. These days, I don’t seem to have the stomach for crime and gore, and I can’t stand the tension in the dramas. Instead, my favourites are Carmen Sandiego (the animated version on Netflix) Fuller House and The Pioneer Woman and I could happily watch the same episodes over and over again!

7. My style has changed. Sometimes I look at the handbags I used to carry 10 years ago, and I can’t believe it! I know a part of it is about function, but also the world has changed. With the introduction of BYOB (bring your own bag) to the supermarket, I am far more likely to be carrying a canvas shoulder bag so that I can throw in my groceries, or a wristlet with my essentials. I have a beautiful handbag that I bought about 12 years ago, and I can’t see myself using it again. Even the style around my house has changed, as I have swapped the practical darker fabric for more light coloured slip covers and cushion covers. I have completely different taste to the 7 years ago version of me.

As a bonus, I am also more confident and take more risks. 

And the best part of all - the knowledge that we can change completely in 7 years gives me hope for reinventing myself yet again before the next decade is over. I wonder who I’ll be by then.

I would love to know - what is something that has changed for you in the past 7 years? And bonus points if you could never have seen it coming! Let me know in the comments. 

And I send you big love from a small island.

PS 7 years ago me is above with that lovely handbag over her shoulder, and also a photo from the last time I modelled.