What do you do when confronted with a change that you didn’t expect, ask for and definitely do not want?
Change is part of life that is on-going and will happen whether we like it or not.
When we make goals we are directing positive change in our lives that help us plan for careers, direct our daily life and reflect our dreams and passions.
But then some life-altering event strikes that tosses our goals out the window, turns our lives inside out and upside down. We discover we have cancer or chronic debilitating disease, an accident changes our physical abilities forever, death claims a child or spouse, our life savings has been wiped out, or divorce has come out of nowhere and knocked us flat. Life as usual has not only been disrupted, but changed forever.
And when we pick ourselves up, we ask now what. Where do I go from here? What do I do? Will I ever be happy again?
It is exciting and motivating to orchestrate the change we want – it is not so exciting dealing with the unexpected and unwanted change.
If we know that change is the one constant that we can rely on, is there a way to prepare for it? It’s one thing to know it will happen – it’s another to know what to do when we experience it.
You may be dealing with a change right now that leaves you scared, anxious, hurt, worried or unsure. Get a notebook and start recording what is happening to you.
Write down what has happened and the emotions you are feeling. Be as specific as you can. Sometimes it is difficult to identify our emotions because they are too scary. But unless we acknowledge them, we will not be able to focus attention on what we can do.
As we continue this series on change, record in your notebook ideas, suggestions, and revelations about yourself. Remember that as painful and difficult as change can be in our lives, it is usually where we grow, we acknowledge and accept our limitations and celebrate and build on our strengths.
©2013, Marlene Anderson