I was in the bedroom this morning, talking on the phone to a client, when I turned around and saw this. Detente.

Yes, my kids...they've been mentioned here before. But this is a new day at the Home Office. The dog was there first. And the cat joined him.

Cats are never one to embrace change. And Ramona is no exception. She's had a hard year...losing her sister and constant companion of 15 years in May, the introduction of a 75 lb. Basset Hound to the household this summer, and coming perilously close to death herself in September (and recovering in a way that amazed even her vet). I'd say this might just be the most eventful year in her long life.

Moving through all of that this year, the single act of getting on the bed when the dog was already there means she is finally accepting the ways in which her world has changed.

Dogs, cats...what does this have to do with me? My own reaction to change has always been like that of a cat. Viewing anything different with great trepidation, and moving deliberately to assess the situation. (Not to mention hissing when backed into a corner.)

I am changing as well...I am learning to embrace new situations with enthusiasm, make bold strides into uncharted territory, and welcome new people into my life. Just like the dog. Around here, we call it "The Hound Dog Way."

While a part of me will always be the detached observer, slow to accept change, I find that the more authentically I grow my business, the more it reflects my values, and the more genuinely enthusiastic I become about the clients and colleagues I attract. Joyful, fearless, authentic...just like Roscoe.

(Not to worry...I'll leave some aspects of The Hound Dog Way to the dog himself. No crotch sniffing or dead squirrels for me.)