Times of change are inevitable.
May I share the words of a dear friend who’s lived all over the world with you today? Her name is Skye. I wonder if that’s because she’s destined to fly everywhere, yet all under the same blue sky of her mighty God? Dig in as Skye shares her view on change…
Change is the basic law of nature. A seed, when planted, changes and transforms to become something that is strong enough to push up through the dirt and mature into all that it was created to be. Within that tiny seed is all the potential for it to become something great, yet it first has to be planted and go through a process of change and transformation, in order for that potential to be released.
Our lives are like seeds. We will all go through difficult times; times when we feel like we are surrounded by dirt and the effort to escape is unbearable. These times of change and transformation in our lives are designed so that our true potential can be released and unless we recognise this process as a powerful opportunity for us to grow and mature and become all that we were created to be, we will allow our circumstances to control us and cause us to become bitter, discouraged and depressed.
Times of difficulty allow us the opportunity to look at what we do every day and at who we are, and decide what we want to become. Like it or not, through difficult times we will change and become different people. It is deciding who we want to become, and taking the steps to change with intention, that is the challenge.
Here are some things we can do to help us manage these times of transition and become the people we were created to be with grace and poise.
- Be kind to yourself. Stop feeling guilty and blaming yourself or others for what has taken place in your life. It’s time to stop feeling guilty about the past. Feelings of guilt and shame are not helpful and instead of assisting in the process of change, they cause us to become stuck in our negative circumstances. This makes the process of change much more difficult and more painful than it needs to be. Set yourself (and others) free. Allow yourself the freedom to transform into the person you were created to be as you navigate your way through this process called “change”.
- Find courage. Do whatever it takes to gain the courage you need to get through this difficult time. Find the courage to put one foot in front of the other every day until you have walked out onto the other side. A good exercise for this is to make a list of the tough times you have been through in the past (and survived) and remind yourself, “If I can do that, then I can do this. If I can come through that, then I can come through this.” At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can. Find books to read, Ted Talks that inspire you, mentors to motivate you … only be strong and very courageous. Do not lose your confidence. It is your reward.
- Stay connected. Stay in contact with family and good, quality friends. It is easy to go into isolation during difficult times and although it is not a bad thing to have time to yourself to think and reflect during these times of change and transformation… isolation can be debilitating. Don’t hide during times of transition. It is essential that you find people who can bring life and warmth into your life. If necessary, get out your diary and plan coffee mornings or dinners with family or friends. Open up your home during these times and invite people in. If you are in a new city or country and don’t have family or friends around you, go on-line and find interest groups that are meeting in your area and find the courage to attend. You will feel better just because you spent time with other people. (And use modern technology; a Skype chat with a far-away friend can be very encouraging.)
- Find peace within. Make peace with yourself and with the world (this may include making peace with your higher power too!) There is a place in which we can live where all things are added unto us; a place of peace knowing that all our needs will be met. This place is called the kingdom of God. It is a place of peace and joy and we are told that it is ‘within us’. We are to seek it above all else. Find that place of peace within and trust Infinite Intelligence to guide you through this difficult time and provide for your every need. Remember this, trials make our faith indestructible. Hold on to your faith and seek peace at all costs.
- Create a plan. Often during difficult times it helps to have a plan and a strategy to follow. Through difficult times we change whether we like it or not, so create a plan and change with intention. Create a plan of action that will help you move forward and become the person you want to become. Staying stuck in your circumstances, feeling miserable about life, will simply prolong any pain you may be experiencing.
- Take small, achievable action steps. This is by far the most important… take one, small achievable action step each day towards moving out of your negative circumstances and into a life that you love. Don’t waste the opportunity life has given you to transform into something beautiful … make the most of this difficult time.
A little about Skye:
Skye McKenzie was born in Zimbabwe yet considers herself a citizen of the world as she has lived in many countries including South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Mexico, Singapore and Italy. Skye has a Bachelor of Theology Degree and a Certificate in Trauma Care. She has overcome many difficulties in life and, through them all, she has discovered much about the process of change.
Skye is an author and speaker whose passion is to help people navigate their own times of difficulty and change with grace and poise. Skye is also the creator and founder of RechartYourCourse.com.
Go! Click on RechartYourCourse now and share with every friend you know who’s looking for positive change. It is Skye’s FREE gift to you and to them, so share.
Connect with Skye now to rechart YOUR course:
ReChartYourCourse, Facebook, and LinkedIn
Thanks for sharing as always on the #LMMLinkup. I really need to find peace with some things in my past and stay connected with my family. Your post really blessed me.
Mary, I’m so honored to join you each week. Thank you for your comment. If I can help you, please let me know. I’d be honored as finding peace while staying connected to family is CRITICAL. Hugs from my heart to yours, Susan
Change is good they always told us at work, and although it often was a challenge to accept, we did go through the changes needed. Change in our life can be unexpected and uncalled for, but when we are trusting God, we can accept His plans as His will. Our Nation is going through a change and the next months and years will bring about more change, that we as Christians must decide to accept and support. Thank you for sharing this and for your lovely link up.
These are wonderful tips. I’m so glad I found your site. Thanks for sharing this lovely post at the Family Joy Blog Link Party this week!
Having gone through much transition over the last few years, I can echo the steps to helping navigating change in this post. Thanks so much for sharing.
Such great tips! I’m reminded of all of the things that need to take place internally before we ever make a plan, and I wonder if we often get these things reversed, which keeps us in a cycle of defeat. Thanks for your insight Skye!
Great tips for managing transitions! Oftentimes, I struggle to figure out that I NEED to make a transition!
Change is not my favorite thing, so good wisdom on how to navigate change is always appreciated!
Hi Elizabeth,
Change is difficult for most people so I appreciate your honesty about it not being your favorite thing! The most important thing to remember is that during these times of change we must see every “mistake” as an opportunity to learn and not beat ourselves up. We were created to learn through experimenting, and often our experiments will not give us the results we desire. That’s not a mistake, that’s an opportunity to learn.
Agreed. I watched my two little girls say good-bye to their best friends as they moved away and out of state yesterday. Such heartbreak for such little hearts to carry. Change is never easy.
Happy Saturday!
Megs
great steps – we forget to be kind to ourselves when life is moving like an earthquake. thanks, skye and susan – you are both so beautiful!
These tips are so helpful and encouraging. I love the tip about being kind to yourself. I find I really beat myself up. I wouldn’t treat someone else like I do myself.
Uplifting and encouraging!
I’m sharing this post!
We’re going through a time of change around here, so that was just perfect for me today! Have a super weekend!
Thank you, Susan, for sharing Skye’s message of hope today!
Such a beautiful and encouraging message! Thank you! One small step keeps up moving in the right direction! Blessings!
Such a beautiful (and important) encouragement for those seasons when we feel surrounded by dirt. Changing our mindset, what (or WHO) we focus on, and taking those small steps can make a huge difference. And that making peace….that’s where it feels hard for me. The need to be still and wait in that hard place is so challenging, but God is there, even in that dark place. Allow yourself to break open and you can become.