The Thrill and Fear of Starting Over: Who Has Experienced a Do Over or Change in Their Life?

Who else has been in a groove in their life where everything seems to fit perfectly into place, you’re feeling cozy and content, no worries, and all of a sudden… BOOM! You’re primed for a do over? That cushy job suddenly is taken out from under you, your spouse or significant other decides to move on, there is a death in your family, you suffer your own health scare, or you flat out decide it’s simply time to make a drastic change in your life for your own self-fullfilment.

Whatever the catalyst may be, change, whether positive or negative is never easy and it always comes with a fair amount of anxiety. The separation or “change of life” anxiety might range from a small tremor to a category 10 earthquake of devastating proportions. But the good news is that, barring a few unpleasent aftershocks, the earthquake eventually settles down and the earth feels firm beneath your feet once again. Now that you have your footing you are out of crisis mode and it’s time to get on with the business of living your new life.

In one way or another we all crave control. Sure, control may be one of God’s greatest illusions, but we still like the sensation of control, the beautiful, albeit false, feeling that everything in our little world is exactly as we want it to be and exactly as we have orchestrated it.

With change comes a sudden exhilarating rush of freedom and sky’s the limit options. Then suddenly our doubting voices interrupt our little freedom buzz, playing devil’s advocate with all of the things that we are “losing” and all of the things that can go wrong as we venture into this new chapter of our lives. After much careful consideration,  an unhealthy dose of anxiety and some panic and self-loathing, what I have come to realize with some clarity is that the doubting voices are the incorrect ones and the positive rush of hope and awareness of our options is actually our authentic voice and the one to trust and hold onto.  We really only limit ourselves when it comes to healing, hoping, striving, and reaching for our personal and professional goals.

If you are in the throws of a major life shift, focus on the positive voice inside you that points out all that life has to offer you and all that you can accomplish, do your best to tune out the doubting and self-criticizing thoughts that try to tell you that you are stuck in the mud. The universe would not have shifted the ground beneath your feet in futility.

The universe is wise and although it feels uncomfortable, the growing pains will pay off in dividends.

Feel free to share your own stories in response to this blog entry on change.

Change = the only thing we can count on for sure.

Allison
XOXOXO

Whether it was divorce, a health diagnosis, a job loss, a financial loss or a loss in the family, each of these celebs had to deal with sudden change or loss: