it’s easy when it’s change you want

So, there are a lot of really exciting things happening in my life right now. I recently moved from one office to another office in our building. Both spaces were/are shared with a co-worker, but the difference is my new office has a door. I am beyond excited about my new door. But what I’m really excited about is the new level of responsibility.

Freed up from some administrative duties, I’ll be doing a lot more client work, which will include media relations for one of our biggest clients. I am SO completely terrified, but so excited. My company believes in me. They are invested in my future and my own development as a person and as a professional.

so, what about when it isn’t a change you want?

Change is great and exciting, but all of the good changes in my life [scary, but still good] got me thinking about how I’ll deal with the really scary, not so exciting, unplanned changes. Nothing like that is happening in my life right now, thank goodness, but who is to say that things couldn’t take a downturn tomorrow? [totally not where I planned on this post going] it’s important to remember the good in our lives and be grateful, because you never know what big, life-altering events can come up.

the real point

What I really wanted to say though, is that it’s how we deal with these things that counts. A blogger I admire got laid off last week. That is definitely not a change of the “more responsibilities,” getting a door,” “moving up in the company” type. Change like that makes us mad. It strips us of the comfort we thought we had. But his ability to see opportunity in such a potentially devastating change is what’s really impressive.

So, while I’m certainly embracing and appreciating the awesome changes happening in my life, I’m not going to forget how to deal with the potentially bad, scary and unplanned changes that I could be facing any day.

what about you?

How do you approach the scary and unexpected? Leave it in the comments, because I’d really like to be armed with some tools!

  • Bree Parker
    Change is scary. It scares the crap out of me. But when those unexpected changes happen I lean on my family and friends to help me get through it. Having a good cry on the phone with a best friend is sometimes the best therapy for me (you know that, haha). But embrasing change is a good way to deal as well. Everything happens for a reason. Sometimes there is a crappy change in your life but it may be a blessing in disguise.
  • It's cliche, but the serenity prayer helps me. Recognizing the situation, pursuing what I can change and accepting what I cannot. Also, knowing that attitude can change everything — even change. I have this quote on my wall at work, it's from my mom and she's had it somewhere in her office or home for as long as I can remember. It helps me to remember that even when change seems uncontrollable, you can control how you react to it.

    “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past, we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent of how I react to it. And so it is with you ... we are in charge of our attitudes.”
    - Charles R. Swindoll
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