Feathering Nests

I’ve been pondering the phrase “feathering your nest” a lot lately. In fact, I think I want to take my life coaching into a realm that addresses that concept in various situations. I started thinking about it because my nest, while not yet empty, has become more spacious. What’s more, the flight of my youngest chick looms within sight. So, as I’ve been thinking about that, about my role as parent shifting again, I’ve been considering what it means to have a nest that suddenly becomes a bit more airy. Like so many stages, it’s an adjustment. It’s a time of fresh possibility, for reflection and for choosing how to move forward. It’s a time when the nest seems to need a bit of “feathering” of one sort or another.

While contemplating all that it occurred to me that most people have times when they discover their nest needs feathering, even if they don’t have chicks tumbling out. For some it may be after a work-life transition, say from a very demanding work schedule to one that’s less so, or after completing a major project, or even when shifting into retirement mode. For others it may be after leaving a long-term relationship, or losing a loved one, or when grandchildren move away, or a best friend leaves town. Suddenly, where before there were responsibilities, demands, phone calls, lunches, or companionship, now there is space. Something is gone and a void is in its place.

Those are nest feathering occasions, times to rearrange things a bit, to fill some of that space with something that brings joy, excitement, and satisfaction. The possibilities are endless, but the process requires a willingness to investigate, to take a chance, to try something new, to be open to change. Feathering a nest isn’t about just filling it up, it’s about enhancing it, improving it, transforming it into the newest version of what feels right and good and true.

I’m making plans to feather my semi-empty nest by doing more of what I love to do, writing and life coaching. And I’m jazzed about what’s ahead. I’m also inspired to help others discover how they want to feather their nests. For sure it’s not a one size fits all proposition. The designs of our nests are as individual and unique as are our fingerprints. Those designs reflect our progress on our journey, and they change in substance and style over time, just like we do.

Regardless of whether your nest has a gaping hole, or just a little space around the edges, feathering, at its finest, should never be about slapping a few spindly twigs into place. No, I see feathering as an art form, where careful consideration goes into the selection of just the right touches to make our nests true reflections of our personalities and our priorities.

If there’s space in your nest, start the quest today. I’m confident you’ll find feathering feels an awful lot like fulfillment.