Acclimation:

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The other day, I walked into my kitchen to see a pile of dishes in the sink and the counter a complete mess, and I thought, how did it get this way - when did this happen? It didn't happen overnight. It was a slow progression that started with a few dishes that wouldn't fit in the dishwasher and eventually ended with a good hour's worth of work. This event reminded me of the boiling frog syndrome and how it subtly and profoundly impacts our lives.

 

The Acclimation card draws your attention to a part of your life where you may be at risk of slowly acclimating to a deteriorating situation. As a result, your circumstances are profoundly changing right there under your nose, undetected. The shift might seem sudden to an outsider, but for you, this slow drift can easily go unnoticed, like the growth of ivy on the house, and before long, it will be consuming.

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Another way Acclimation may manifest is in the area of health. Because the changes are gradual, we don't always see how our body has changed or how our health has declined over the years. Sometimes, it takes a visit to the doctor to appreciate the severity of the problem. Just as small changes can lead to accepting a negative shift in a relationship or our health - making small positive changes can feel  effortless and, in time, lead to remarkable results. The only problem is we often don't recognize the slow-moving positive changes because we acclimate to them - they become part of our lives.

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I created the Acclimation card as a gentle reminder to remain vigilant about the gradual changes in your life, whether negative or positive. It encourages regularly stepping back and assessing our circumstances, relationships and health from a fresh perspective.

 

By doing so, we can avoid becoming complacent in deteriorating situations and learn to appreciate and build upon the small, positive changes that contribute to our overall well-being and happiness. This awareness helps us steer our lives in a direction that aligns with our values and goals, ensuring we don't miss out on the subtleties that shape our existence.