Here’s Your Change…Have a Nice Day!

coins in a plastic jar

You walk to the check out line, pay for your “stuff” and the cashier smiles and says, “Here’s your change; have a nice day!”

Doesn’t it sometimes feel like life is saying the same thing? “Here’s your change.” (Your boyfriend breaks up with you.) “Here’s your change.” (You get an unexpected diagnosis at a routine checkup.) “Here’s your change.” (Your company is downsizing and you lose your job.) I don’t know about you, but none of these events would encourage me to “Have a nice day!”

Change. It happens. There’s nothing we can do about it and yet many of us tend to dwell on it, getting a knot in our stomachs and a migraine headache, as well. Change is uncomfortable, unpredictable, unknowable. It’s just plain different.

So what can you do when life hands you the “Here’s your change; have a nice day!” line?

Accept that the change has taken place.

Don’t rush into making a decision as a result of this change. Take your time before you take the next step.

Most importantly, give yourself time to process whatever the unexpected event might be. Talk with family members, friends or a counselor about the way this change has effected you. Remember you don’t have to go through life alone. Lean on those who care about you.

Now it’s your turn…would you be willing to share what’s worked for you? How have you successfully navigated difficult change in YOUR life?