Navigating Times of Change

After all.... "the only constant in life is change."

Hi, I’m Reid! I write about my life experiences and how we can all live in brave new ways. Please subscribe to support my work and receive weekly posts.

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I write to you from a place in my life of great transition. So much is shifting and the only consistency is change. It is exciting and scary all at once. At the beginning, I found myself gripping tightly to my old life and ways of being, which only caused a cloud of existential dread. But once I let go and allowed my heart to open to the possibility of newness, a happiness I had yet to know presented itself.

It seems like all of my closest girlfriends and every woman I meet around my age are experiencing some sort of big life transition. It is comforting to know I’m not the only one. People are leaving relationships, switching career paths, moving homes, moving to different cities, starting businesses, finding endings… it’s easy to focus on the endings. But as one door closes, another door opens. A new beginning is on the horizon.

The act of going through a big change in life is so colorful. There are seasons to it. I’ll feel confident and hopeful one day, and then have no idea what to do with myself the next. Finding that old systems and ways of being I clung to so tightly no longer serve me. It’s scary. It feels like a complete identity shift. Cause once you have nothing to cling to anymore, you have no choice but to move into the unknown.

It has not only been comforting but inspiring to hear other women talk about all the changes that are coming about in their lives. I admire them all so deeply. Acceptance has been big medicine for us all. I’m accepting the fact that sometimes I don’t know what’s best for me. Im accepting that sometimes the complete opposite of what I thought I wanted is what I really needed. I find myself wanting things I thought I’d never want, and the things I once wanted I don’t want anymore. So much is changing around me, and I am changing as well. No control. Zero. The only option we have is to lean in.

I thought we could take some time today to unpack how to navigate these times of change, and how we can make the most out of them. The following is what has helped me…

Give ourselves space to grieve. Grieving our old life is important. It’s important to have closure. It most likely won’t happen all at once. It will pop up from time to time, sometimes after something really good happens and you are like “why am I crying?!” … its cause it’s a lot. Allow yourself to feel it all.

Surrender. Loosen your grip. When making big changes in life, we can sometimes get in our own way if we try to control everything. Leave room for magic! The best things aren’t always expected. We can also get what we want in unexpected ways.

Keep a Journal. Writing in a journal as you navigate times of change can be extremely helpful. It helps you work your thoughts out and come up with new ideas. It is also super helpful to look back on old journal entries that were written while you were in a time of change. It’s cool to see how far you’ve come in life and is a great reminder that “this too shall pass.”

One foot in front of the other. Focus on what’s in front of you. One task at a time. If we try to do too many things at once, it can be overwhelming.

Try new things without fear of failure. We have to get out of our comfort zone and try new things without fear of failure. Sometimes it doesn’t work out, but now we know. Everything is information!

Follow what inspires you. Move in the direction of what feels inspiring and interesting to you. Even if it’s something you’ve never done before, just move in that direction.

Say “yes!” Saying ”yes” puts us in places of opportunity! Meeting new people! New experiences! Fun!

Say “no.” If something isn’t serving you, just say no. If you need to rest and focus on yourself instead of going to that thing, just say no. Do you.

Permission to rest. I’ll admit I’m guilty of trying to stay busy all the time. Giving myself time to rest has been a game changer! It’s not only important, it’s vital.

Take care of your body. Making a big change in life can be exhausting, but keeping your body healthy helps you thrive! Get movement in daily. Feed yourself nutritious meals. This will help set us up for success.

Step out of your comfort zone. The reality is, what we want will most likely require us to step out of our comfort zones. I have come to love the feeling of stepping outside of my comfort zone. It provides a healthy exhilaration to life! It’s fun and exciting!

I hope this was helpful. If you feel called, please share in the comments section how you have found yourself navigating times of transition and change.

-Reid

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Listening to…