Over the course of our lives, we will undergo numerous transitions, too many to count. Some of them will be small, nothing more than a ripple in the ocean of life. But others will be tidal waves—changing our way of living. How do we embrace change? Here are 3 tips to thrive with transitions.
Accept that change is inevitable.
“Change is the only constant in life,” Heraclitus, a Greek philospher, once said. We all live in a state of flux—aging, moving, flitting about from one task to the next. Even if we want to stay in a certain state, we can’t. Kids grow up into adults. Flowers bloom in the spring and die in winter. People get hired, and then they retire or quit.
The sooner we accept that this is a natural process, the less we resist. Change is also necessary to learn and progress. Remaining in our comfort zones leaves us little room for exploration. Like a plant in a small pot, our growth is restrained.
Finding meaning.
In addition, change adds meaning into our lives. By growing through our “lifequakes“, as Life Is in the Transitions author Bruce Feiler calls it, we gain wisdom and sometimes find our life’s purpose.
I knew that I would never go back to my previous career after leaving it behind and moving abroad. I started writing and creating new things that have made me happier and closer to what I truly want to do.
Once we realize that change is not only inevitable, but necessary and meaningful, we can begin to thrive with transitions.
Reflect on your past experiences.
Whatever you’re going through right now, it’s definitely not the first change you’ve been through. Big or small, you’ve been through them all. Look back on those moments, those prized experiences. If you can recall, you might have been in the pits, up to your throat in your own anxieties and fears. You might have felt drowned with all the uncertainties and pressures.
Then look at how you were able to overcome them—internal and external forces alike. See how you were able to adjust your thinking, your actions, your life around the new change. Inspect how, slowly but surely, you made it your own until it was normal.
Give it time.
Think of changes as moving into new house. It can look strange and new at first, and you might be wrestling with feelings of nostalgia over your old abode. But over time, the new will become old, and the house will become a home.
To embrace change is tough, no doubt. But give it a bit of time and reflection and you will soon settle in your new routine/job/country. Just take a look at when COVID-19 first hit. The world was in an uproar. It seemed like the end of life as we know it. And in a way, that’s true. But just exactly that—life as we know it, not life itself.
Society is bouncing back, taking baby steps to walk again. We see masks turned into fashion pieces, Zoom weddings become the norm. People are starting to embrace the change and thrive with transitions. And while life may never return to our “old normal”, we definitely are living our “new normal”, and we are all the better for that.
Trust yourself.
One of my last tips to thrive with transitions is to trust yourself. If you followed step 2 and looked back at all you’ve been through, you’ll know you have what it takes not just to surpass, but to flourish with any challenges.
I mean, look at you now, alive and breathing. Battle-scarred, maybe, but definitely stronger. Those changes didn’t kill you, they made you into who you are now.
Don’t focus on the discomfort. Think of the growth and what you can do instead. Find ways to make things better, then trust the process. Change happens, but you can and you will continue to move forward, in spite of, and because of them.
Related: I’m Alone and That’s Okay
3 tips to thrive with transitions
Leaving your home to live in a new country, grieving the death of a loved one, losing your job of 10 years in a pandemic…we all go through several lifequakes over time.
No matter what it is, try not to resist. Instead, embrace change and find meaning in it. Then you will bloom and blossom—a duckling to a swan, a wine deepened with age.
Remember these 3 tips to thrive with transitions: Accept, Reflect, and Trust yourself. Then you can go about life’s constant flux with more grace and ease.
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