When was the last time you asked yourself this question? It was probably after something significant happened in your life. Maybe it was a change in a relationship, living or financial situation, or employment status.
Sometimes the change is known about ahead of time so you can plan for it. Sometimes it is a sudden unplanned event. Sometimes you have a choice and sometimes not.
Regardless of the reason, it throws you off balance. All of a sudden, there is a new normal. Possibly there are new rules to follow. It is fundamentally human nature to resist change because we like familiarity. But change happens whether we want it to or not. The question is how to approach the situation.
One way is to ignore what is happening. Or feel sorry for yourself.
But another approach is to see that it provides a unique growth opportunity for you to take a fresh look at your life, your values, and priorities. After and while the dust is settling from your new situation, you can think about what is the most important thing to you in this life and why. You are able to reexamine your values and priorities to see if there has been any change from the last time you thought about it. You can look at your purpose in life and see if it changed from what it used to be. For example, was there something you always wanted to do but never did?
Sometimes, you lose physical possessions, like in a fire. It is sad that those things are gone. But there are some people who say they felt their possessions owned them and tied them down, not the other way around. I have heard some people say that losing physical things was the best thing that could have happened to them since it was freeing to them and caused them to take a new look at their priorities in life.
If you have ever seen a person in assisted living toward the end of their life, you see that gradually all their possessions are taken away from them because they don’t need them and can’t use them anymore. You come into the world with nothing and you leave with nothing except what you have created. So what do you really need in your life?
Yes, you have to take care of yourself and sometimes others. With change, your friends or relationships with those friends might change. You might need to downsize or be creative with how to do things under new parameters.
So the question of what do I do now is the opportunity for a reset in your life. It shakes you out of complacency and you see how strong, capable, and resilient you are. You can compare who you are now with who you have been. So when you ask what do I do now? One answer is I change and grow!
Finding the good in all things…
Celeste
Silver Lining Musings by Celeste 