Tag Archives: Road

What now?

22 Jun

Sudden, and difficult changes can come into our lives unexpectedly. They are never easy to face, but sometimes it’s the way things go. I have a professional friend who had a lucrative position contracting with a large corporation, and did very well. He was successful, and happy, and looked forward to a long, and prosperous career. His boss got a big promotion, and told him it was partially due to the great work he had done. But when his boss left, and the new leader came in from another agency, she brought her own team in with her. As a contractor, my friend was not an employee of the company, and with the change in leadership, his position was no longer available. He was without a job. Though always a possibility, because he was so good at his work, he never dreamed this would happen. He was devastated, and concerned about what would happen next. Everything had suddenly changed.

When these things come, they are hard to process. Initially we may be in shock, and then we may be angry. But eventually, we have to face the situation, and figure out how to go forward. If a job is involved, time may be critical. In other situations we may have more time. Either way, we still have to face the enormous change that has come to us. We may feel lost at first, and ask, “What now?”

A drastic change in our lives can be very hard to face, very difficult to manage, and emotionally devastating. But if we look at the situation objectively, it’s really just a change in direction. The path we were on has turned, and we feel unsure because we’re on unfamiliar territory. It’s hard to find our footing when we don’t know the road. It’s hard to know where we’re going when all the landmarks have changed. But if we keep our sights set on the way forward, we can find our way. This is just an alternate route. We have enough courage to handle that, and we can figure it out. There isn’t only one way to live our lives. There are countless roads we can take. If we’re in a position of sudden change, it just means it’s time to choose another road. We just need to turn a little, and go forward a different way.

Today if you’re facing a big change, an unexpected roadblock, try not to be overwhelmed. It’s just a change in direction. You can change directions. You’ve probably done it before, and although it will feel uncomfortable for a while, you will find your way. You have everything you need to figure this out. You will navigate it step by step. Big changes are unsettling, but you can handle them. You are strong, and you are capable. Take a deep breath. Choose something new. Be fearless. The destination is still ahead. This is just a turn in the road.

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Looking Back

18 May

As we travel through our lives, there are things we want to accomplish, goals we want to achieve, and growth we want to realize. Some of these are completed quickly, and others take a long time to achieve. We work on them day by day, month by month, and for some, year by year. Time stretches on, and we keep trying but still haven’t gotten to the place where we feel we’ve finished the task. We’re still pushing that big rock up the hill. It can seem like it will never end, and we may begin to be disheartened. We wonder if the task is too great. We wonder if we will ever get to the end. We wonder if we can continue.

During those moments of discouragement, it may be hard to see what we’ve done already, and how far we’ve actually traveled in our quest to achieve the goal. All we can see is the never ending road ahead. It seems to go on forever. There is so much yet to do. We feel like our wheels are spinning in sand. If we only look in front of us, all we can see, as far as we can see, is the distance we have yet to go.

But there is another way to look at this. We can turn around. We can stop for a moment, and turn around. Look back. Take a break from pushing forward, and look back at how far we’ve come already. Look at all the twists, and turns we’ve already navigated. See all the disappointments we’ve conquered. See all the times we nearly stopped but didn’t quit. Look at all of that. It’s been a long road. At times it’s been a hard road, and yet we’re still here. We’re still going forward. We haven’t given up. We’re still committed. If we can stop, and take a moment to see that, and realize how much we’ve accomplished already, we will be renewed. We will feel encouraged. The goal is still ahead, but we have come a long, long way.

If we only set our sights on the future, if we only concentrate on the road in front of us, it is impossible to see the growth we’ve already achieved. But that growth, all those battles already won, count for a lot. They have made us strong. They have made us courageous. They have made us confident. It is because of them that we can go on still. We need to take the time to recognize them.

Today if you start to feel you haven’t accomplished what you had hoped by now, if you feel you’ve failed in some way, stop and turn around. Look back, and see how far you’ve come. You’ve done your best, and you are exactly where you need to be at this moment. Rejoice in that. You are where you need to be at this moment. The road ahead is still there. It will always be there waiting for you. Take another step. You’re closer today than you’ve ever been. You’ll get there. Keep going.

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