When Things Fall Apart

It will happen at some point. It is inevitable. In fact, it will probably happen again and again. You will be going along and suddenly, without warning, things will fall apart. The universe will decide to take the snow globe that is your life and give it a good, hard shake. All of the parts of your life that you thought were settled will become a scattered mess, and you will be left with the task of picking up the pieces. While you do not have a choice on when, where, or how this happens, you do have a choice in how you deal with it, how you look at it, and how you move forward.  Here are some choices that helped me.

CHOOSE TO LET GO OF THINGS YOU CANT CHANGE
So many things in life are out of our control, so why do we still focus so much on them? Stop wasting your time an energy. Choose to let them go. Instead, focus on things that you can actually change and that are in your control. It will be time better spent

CHOOSE TO MOVE FORWARD
The past is the past. Things have already happened, and the best thing that we can do is accept them and move forward. There is no reason to dwell, to relive bad memories, or to let them hold you back.

CHOOSE TO PUT YOURSELF FIRST
This one can be really, really hard, but sometimes it is necessary. Stop paying so much attention to what everyone else wants and expects and ask yourself what you want. Give yourself permission to live your own life.

CHOOSE TO THROW YOURSELF INTO SOMETHING YOU LOVE
When bad things happen, it can be really helpful to throw yourself into something to take your mind of it. Instead of putting all of that energy into something negative (like dwelling on the past), put it into something you really care about. That blog you have been meaning to start? Do it. That skill you wanted to learn? Learn it.  That trip you wanted to take? Take it.

CHOOSE TO SEE IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY
It is so easy to look at things in a negative light. Challenge yourself to take a bad situation and make it positive. Look at everything as an opportunity. An opportunity to learn, grow, rebuild, change, make better. In reality, that is exactly what it is.