A love note to chameleons (and Boy George)

publishedabout 1 month ago
2 min read

Today's I'm dipping my toes in the sea of possibility, with a soundtrack by the British performer Boy George and Culture Club.

Remember their 1983 song Karma Chameleon? Boy George was having a secret relationship with the drummer of the band and the song is about the karmic effects of not being true to yourself.

Desert loving in your eyes all the way
If I listen to your lies, would you say
I'm a man (a man) without conviction
I'm a man (a man) who doesn't know
How to sell (to sell) a contradiction
You come and go, you come and go

Karma, karma, karma, karma, karma chameleon
You come and go, you come and go
Loving would be easy if your colors were like my dreams
Red, gold, and green, red, gold, and green

Boy George reminded us that we don't want to be with someone who isn't true, who changes who they are.

But you know, maybe I do.

Maybe I want to be that chameleon.

It's simply not true that we're the same person all the time. And believing that changing is dishonest often holds us back from growing into the next version of ourselves.

You've always said yes to volunteer work and now you want to say no.

You've always said yes to drinks with friends and now you prefer a bike ride.

You've always rushed in to help your kids and now you want to help yourself.

Chameleon? Gloriously so! Thank heavens we can change. But the thing is --

It doesn't happen all at once.

We try it on, decision by decision, like a new sweater.

It feels uncomfortable at first. Scratchy.

We worry that we'll lose the love of our friends, our family, ourselves.

But then, over time, the sweater becomes broken in. Comfy. Us.

And as we share ourselves with the world, we attract new possibilities.

We find new things to say yes to.

New opportunities show up at our door.

Karma.

This week, look for moments where you might want to try on a new shade, like a chameleon. Start small. Say no where you usually say yes, or say yes where you normally say no. Speak up where you are usually quiet. It might not feel comfortable (yet) but it shouldn't throw you into intense stress either. Look for the sweet spot of deliciously nervous, alive with new possibilities and a wee bit scared. Take a small step and see how it feels. If you want, you can keep going. ❤️


Trying on new feelings, even for just a few minutes, powerfully shifts our experience of the world. While we often feel stuck with emotions that push us away, we can spend some time being pulled towards new emotions. I explore this in this week's podcast on push emotions and pull emotions.

Episode #47: Magnetic emotions

Ep #47

Did you know that your emotions are magnetic? Some emotions push us away and some emotions draw us closer. In today's episode I share how turning the magnet around can make all the difference. In this episode:

🌟 Why push emotions like unhappiness are often easier to access than pull emotions like desire

🌟 Why the pull emotions often feel harder and further away

🌟 How to use the push emotions to access the pull emotions

🌟 Why even just a few minutes in a pull emotion can powerfully shift your energy

If you want to invite change and possibility into your life, this is one tool that will surely help!

Love, Rachel

P.S. Do you know someone who would love the weekly pick-me-up of my love notes? Please forward this to them! Did someone forward this to you? Sign up for your own at lovenotes.coachingwithrachel.com.

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I'm Rachel. Happy to meet you!

I'm a life coach, college professor, and former president of the Overthinkers Club. Also host of Making Midlife Magic podcast. I love helping middle aged people to dream again and to create lives they love.

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