@bethvogt
I’m going through a time of transition.
To be honest, I don’t like it.
I typed those words and stopped, wondering when was the last time I wrote about my struggle with change. Searched my blog archives and found a blog post dated July 24, 2019.
Yes, I had to shake my head and smile.
I was dealing with transition almost exactly a year ago … and I’m going through another season of circumstantial shifts today.
“The only constant in life is change.” Heraclitus (535 BC-475 BC), Greek philosopher
Why am I always surprised by transitions in my life? So put out?
Change always feels like a current swirling around my ankles, subtle at first, and then becoming stronger, like a riptide, threatening to pull me under.
Why do I forget that I know how to swim? That yes, I know how to deal with riptides?
- Remain calm. 2. Don’t fight the current, instead, float with the current and swim parallel to the shore. 3. Call for help if you are a weak swimmer.
“Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.” John Maxwell (1947-), American author
The basics of escaping a riptide apply to facing times of transition:
1. Remain calm. There’s no need to panic. I’ve faced major changes in my life before and survived them. Odds are, I’ll survive this one. “We can only be calm since God controls all the circumstances.” Laila Gifty Akita, writer
2. Don’t fight the current. Isn’t the first reaction to something scary to pull away, be it unexpected change or being pulled out to sea? But the opposite thing is often the wisest choice: we need to relax into our fear. To not panic. “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962), former First Lady of the United States
3. Ask for help. It’s all too easy to hide when we’re having a tough time. To pretend we’re okay. But if a time of change is pulling you under with doubt, it’s time to talk to a close friend or mentor. To ask for prayer and guidance – to find out how they navigate transition. You’re not weak – you’re human. “Let’s tell the truth to people. When people ask, ‘How are you?’ have the nerve to answer truthfully.” Maya Angelou (1927-2014), American memoirist & civil rights activist
What helps you when you’re going through a time of transition?
Choosing to Gain a Healthier Perspective on Change in Our Lives https://bit.ly/32hhpvS #transitions #perspective Click To Tweet 'The only constant in life is change.' Quote by Heraclitus https://bit.ly/32hhpvS #change #expectations Click To Tweet
Comments 9
This is so good, Beth. And why am I ever surprised by God’s timing and perfect message? I’m going through a transition and isolating because of it … like anyone needs to isolate more than we already are. My kids keep saying, “Reach out,” and I have a little, but it might be time to reach a little farther. Thank you. ❤️
Author
Kim: I understand all about isolation as a way of coping with change. Hunkering down mentally and emotionally. It seems to help, doesn’t it? But I’ve learned staying in my head wears me out and produces a lot of negative thoughts — not good at all. Praying for you, friend, during your season of change.
I love those key words, “going through”. Defeat only comes if we fall in a heap and refuse to try to go forward. I read a quote yesterday I’m probably not recalling perfectly but something like it’s okay to try and fail (before trying again). But not to try is to fail. So true. I appreciate your clear pathfinder points, too.
Author
Dee: I’ve made peace with failure as I’ve gotten older. I used to be afraid of it. Unwilling to accept it. But now I know it’s part of the process … you meet it along the road to success and you move on past it, again and again.
I. Do. Not. Change.
How am I, you may well ask,
and you truly want to know;
as I face this final task,
my friend, I’m good to go.
Yes, the day is fading fast,
and soon will come the night,
but my time is not yet past
and I still am in this fight.
Perhaps my strength will see me through;
perhaps naught will avail,
but I’ll ensure it will be true
when in hell they hear the tale
of the man with soul aflame
that Satan wept to hear his name.
Author
Andrew: I think of you daily, friend. Pray for you often. And the changes you face … the transitions you’ve gone through? I’ve learned so much from you about accepting the hard things. Standing up to challenges. Being brave. Holding onto faith.
Wishing you the best during this time.
Author
Thank you, Denise. Writing my thoughts out has helped me regroup and remember to look for the best. To trust God in the process.
So many life transitions Beth. Perhaps it’s similar to mine when sending my son (last child) off to college. Realizing my child-rearing days were over. No longer would our home be his home base. His scent was still there and I didn’t want to let go. I could tell of other transitions. Best way to get through these times for me is talking to God and listening. We are building wisdom from life experiences.
You lady, have raised children; matured through marriage; loved both; cared for parents and mother-in-love; written books and given to others.
Life is an ocean – you ride the waves and sometimes they overtake and tumble you beneath. But you fight to reach the surface. Occasionally the sea is smooth, softly lapping the shore and you just inhale… feeling the
calm. Look for the beauty. And if you’re blessed you see another glorious sunrise. — 💕 Daphne Woodall