Are you currently going through a major life change? Perhaps the challenges of your transition seem insurmountable at this moment. You may be feeling lonely and isolated. How can you envision that new beginning when you feel so stuck?
Let me introduce you to three women who you might relate to and find inspiration from. Yes, their names are fictitious, but their situations could be your story.
Sarah just brought her youngest daughter to college. Graduation, college orientation and a whirlwind of shopping for clothes and dorm necessities were precious times spent together. As excited as Sarah was for her “little girl”, she knew the day of letting go was fast approaching.
Conflicting emotions of joy in this new beginning for her daughter and the sadness of anticipating her “empty nest” battled within her. Letting go of her little girl now becomes a new building block of their relationship. Now Sarah is engaging in her own new discoveries of defining herself beyond being Mom.
Mary Ann is also struggling with finding her way to a new beginning. After 20 years of marriage, she is divorced and wondering how she got there… It is hardeven remembering what it was like to be single, much less living it. She was also 20 years younger then.
She can’t imagine building a new life as a middle aged single woman. Where does she start? Everything has changed. All that was safe and familiar during those 20 years is no longer there. What happened? Figuring that out will be a pathway to learning and moving on, not staying stuck in what was.
Debbie has worked in the insurance field for 30 years. It is a career she has enjoyed. She is approaching retirement age and is facing a multitude of decisions to make. When should she retire? What will she do? What quality of life does she seek for herself, both financially and emotionally? A lot of inner and outer detective work will lead Debbie to make her decisions.
All three women are facing major life changes. The common denominator for them is how they will gather their coping skills and support systems around them to help them through their transitions. The top 5 resources they will need are:
1. Patience – Change takes time and nurturing. It is a process.
2. Support – Gather close non-judgemental listeners, friends, family and professionals to reflect back to you.
3. Mindfulness – Be aware of little clues that change is happening in both your mindset and actions.
4. Humor – Take some time out from the intensity of transition to see some of the quirkiness and humor in your change.
5. Honesty – Being hones and true to who you are will go a long way in helping you find the path to who you want to be.
Yes, Sarah, Mary Ann and Debbie are finding their way. they are taking personal inventory of what is working for them and what is not. They each are using all of their traits and gifts to create their new beginnings. Patience and Perseverance are their guides. You can do it too!