What do these words – downsizing, upgrading, trading up, and retiring – really mean?  I wonder …

The other day driving on the main road in town, I passed a home on a large piece of property being torn down. For almost 25 years living in my present home I have passed this property hundreds of times. The house under destruction was one of my favorites; it was a single story “U” shaped and possessed a charming, welcoming feel. Demolished, I began to wonder about space and size and how we determine the “right” size of home – particularly at different phases of life. Words like upgrading are used when we move to a larger house, whereas downsizing is used when we move to a smaller house. The connotation from both being subjective and judgmental: upgrading you are doing better and downsizing things aren’t going so well.

It is from these wonderings that the word – resize – appeared. It seems to me that we are not downsizing, upgrading, retiring or any of these transition experiences. But rather, we are resizing based upon the ever-evolving and changing life situation. And it is quite ironic that the feelings associated with each of these experiences can either promote well-being or despair – regardless of whether one is downsizing or upgrading, and totally dependent upon individual perspective.

That’s why adopting RESIZING opens the gate for deeper reflection and awareness of the current situation and what is “right” now.

Whether larger, smaller, square or round, where in your life is ripe for resizing?  Where do you go to determine today’s size?  How are you holding the view?