Rerouting

Are you ever just driving along following the directions the GPS gives you, but somehow still end up making a wrong turn? One thing about life it will reroute you, but doesn’t give you a clear picture of where you’re headed like that handy GPS. I had my life planned or so I thought… I decided to go back to my old employer, which has a manageable level of stress. It’s lower pay but for me less stress is much better than more money – more money more problems. Plus, I knew this position would allow me to do more of the things I loved. The route: I’ll work early mornings and be off by 2pm, exercise, spend time with my family and focus on building The Closet Piece. The wrong turn: One day, one moment, all of that changed. My life is now rerouting and I’m not sure what direction it’s going in. I always thought I was okay with change, but I realize now I’m only okay with change when I’m in control of the change. I have what they call a Type A personality. A Type A person is typically competitive, ambitious, focused, and a workaholic. We are more than likely to experience stress when challenges affect our success. This is what is happening to me right now…. a stressful challenge that has changed my life and the lives of my family and for me my family is the only success story that matters.

Tips for anxiety, stress and worrying:

1. While worrying is normal try to problem solve the situation, make an action plan and execute it

2. Don’t overthink, the what ifs will drive you insane

3. Take care of yourself, eat/shower/sleep/stay hydrated – my biggest struggle

4. Enjoy the moment, worrying causes you to live in a future that may never happen

5. Accept the uncertainty, “it is what it is” and you can only move forward

Tips for grieving:

1. Give yourself time to adjust to your new normal, it’s a marathon not a race

2. Talk to friends and family that have experience the same type of loss, some situations people won’t truly understand unless they’ve experienced it themselves

3. Join a support group – this was very helpful for me

4. Do the things you loved before the loss of your loved one

5. Throw out the stages of grief, you’ll experience all type of emotions and surely not in stages

Here’s the thing the longer you live the more you’ll see life sometimes does not go as planned and it for sure doesn’t get easier but you really do get stronger. While this may be my biggest challenge life to date I have a mustard seed of faith that I’ll still end up at my destination.

Word is I can do all things through him who strengthens me and for nothing will be impossible with God.