Transitions are a part of life. Changes help us grow and move forward. Some transitions we choose and can clearly see the good that’s coming. Others' life brings to us and can seem harder. Chances are, at some point, we all find ourselves facing adversity. It can be heartbreaking, overwhelming, and life-changing. Sometimes when it hits you, it's like a door you just can't open or a boulder that's impossible to move. If you find yourself in a situation like that, just stop, and take a breath. The only way forward may be to change your perspective.
As difficult as it seems, the way forward starts with accepting the situation for what it is. Changing our perspective allows us to look past the pain and the fear, and lets us see the adversity as an opportunity, a new beginning. When we put our challenges into perspective, we become capable of doing great things in life. Perspective allows us to accept what we have and gives us the vision to build on it. It helps strengthen our faith in ourselves to overcome the inevitable changes that life brings. If we can get to that point, we're well on the way to moving forward.
Community helps. Others have been where we are or may be experiencing what we’ve already gone through. Reach out and see who’s ‘been there before,’ and ask about their experience. Things like a major move can be overwhelming. The Caring Transitions team is here, ready to help you begin the process.
And when you’ve made your way through a tough time, share with others how you did it. There's no better satisfaction than helping somebody else who is already going through something that you've already experienced. Help them take the pain, make a pivot, and turn it into power.
One of the keys to life is to keep moving forward. We all experience valleys, but we don’t want to stay there. Moving forward is the path that leads us to new adventures and memorable experiences. Moving forward allows us to keep growing, to keep learning, but things happen to us all that slow us down and threaten to stop us right in our tracks.
Growing Bolder’s Secily Wilson knows firsthand how difficult, yet important, the simple act of moving forward can be. She’s an author, journalist, and stroke survivor. After her stroke on-air, the broadcast veteran lost her ability to speak. But determined to come back, she worked hard to regain her speech and her career.
When we stop moving forward, we stop living. The only way to start is to begin to shed ourselves of all the things weighing us down. Sometimes it's our own self-doubt or fears – all very human reactions. It's much easier to do nothing, to just isolate and hide away from the world, but we only get one life, and it's worth every bit of the struggle to begin to shed whatever weights are holding you down. For Secily, it comes down to the three P's. She says if things in your life don't bring you peace, purpose, or profit, then they're probably just holding you down. Let them go and see how wonderful life can be once you begin to move forward again. How can you change your perspective today? Are you ready to move forward? Your Caring Transitions team is here to help.