The ebb and flow
of life certainly keeps us on our toes. Have you ever been busy living your life in a (somewhat) normal routine when all of the sudden your apple cart is turned upside down…something changes…a company buy out…company downsizing…new contractor requirements…moving to a 30 hour work week due to Obamacare…an illness…any unexpected change that requires rethinking the way you make a living!
Suddenly, your world is upended…stress kicks in…all of the sudden in the second, third or fourth quarter of your life, you have to regroup…design a new game plan…maybe rethink retirement. You have watched the news and know many American’s have been going thru this….but it doesn’t hit home until now…Your reaction runs the gamut of feelings…panic…anger…frustration…anxiousness.
How do we let ourselves get settled into a routine? We have seen a great change in the workforce…fewer people stay with the same company today…the average person could have as many as 11 job changes!
Some people have time to prepare for the change…more often many aren’t that lucky…so what do you do when the bottom seems to fall out from under you.
First, consider your options and OPPORTUNITIES! Don’t allow yourself to be fearful of change…embrace it as you may make a new discovery about yourself! Remember that struggle is a part of our journey….I believe it is the fabric that has made me who I am!
Remember all those sayings you heard from your mother?
Life gives you lemons…make lemonade
Pick yourself up…dust yourself off…and start all over again (“I personally think…All over again is kinda a bummer”)
View the glass as half-full not half-empty
The unexpected could be the best thing that happens to you…a new opportunity for growth…rediscovering an ability or talent, or pursuing a passion or interest.
I have gone through this change more than once…each time I have feelings of anxiety until I remember the doors that opened up in the past. Here are my steps for embracing an unexpected work dilemma:
Pray about my concern…
Update my resume
Generate a list of options
Turn to my network of friends and colleagues
Be proactive in my search
Look for the unexpected!
For the next four months, I will be writing about the ebb and flow of my work…what’s happening and what’s changing…what I’m learning. Join my adventure and invite your friends to read with you….as the Traveler tells how her life is changing!