Dealing with Change Using Reflection

Change is tough for people to deal with; I know it's been hard for me. Yet, it’s the one aspect of life that will happen often, and you should want things to change and grow throughout your life. Sometimes, using reflection can help people when dealing with change.

You may remember hanging out with friends during your senior year in high school. For most people, it was a great time that we wish would have never ended. However, it did end and people moved on with their lives. You probably had mixed emotions when it happened. It was exciting to look forward to something new, but sad to part with those close friends. Some you may have stayed in contact with, but many you probably don’t see anymore.

It's possible to reflect on that time to deal with future changes. You can use any of your past experiences where you had major changes come your way by reconnecting emotionally. Try to use how you felt at the time, along with how your life turned out after the change. When we go through this mental exercise, we discover that the changes were usually not as bad as we first imagined them to be. In fact, it’s likely you grew from the experience, which is positive.

You won’t view every change as good. In fact, some of them may be downright dreadful. Hopefully, these don’t happen too often and when they do, you get over them quickly. Sometimes, events in life can make it difficult to deal with, even when reflecting on prior experiences. In my coaching practice, clients learn to reframe these experiences to move on and forward with their lives. We can heal from trauma and pain. One way is to seek out others who are going through something similar. There are plenty of support groups that you can join that can help you through hard times.

Change is also what we make of it. If we choose to embrace it, we often find it works to our benefit. If we are highly resistant, we block ourselves from leading a good life along with the changes, and our goal is to live our best life...an Intentional Life. Again, this is where reflecting on prior experiences can help. Keep an open mind and try to think back to any previous experiences that can help guide you through the changes.

Sometimes it is okay to fight the change when something doesn’t seem right about it. That’s okay too. You may be justified in doing so and will probably get support from others. It takes courage to be the one standing up for what you believe. But, you will be stronger for it in the end. People will respect you for your courage and leadership...you can be the role model and inspire others to practice resilience and welcome the changes by using a reflection practice.

Until next time...

Cheers!

Lisa

P.S. Check out my latest article in Thrive Global about using reflection to heal the past: https://thriveglobal.com/stories/a-legacy-of-hope-possibility-and-opportunity/