Change Doesn't Always Give Warning

Calm waters are rarely free from ripples and waves for too long. Depending on the elements around them they could be little more than a gentle wave or a raging sea crashing upon itself over and over. Life is essentially the same. At least I can say my life is anyway.

New challenges reveal themselves often without warning. How I choose to meet those unexpected bumps in the road are what determine where I will be tomorrow and the days to come. It isn't easy to resist the urge to let stress and woe eek in while I'm trying to see the challenge for what it is. Time and again I find that it takes focused effort to keep from abandoning the positive path I've been on.

If I ever feel as though my days have run a bit on the dull side, it isn't long before I am presented with change, of some sort and usually, it's more than one. Most of the time the outcome is better than before and this makes it easier to adapt. Still, big changes cause a bit of upheaval when they first make themselves known.

In a matter of days I went from dealing with my son preparing to move out on his own and wondering when I will hear about my contract extension at work, to finding out my landlord is selling the six condos he owns in this complex - mine included, and I have roughly 30 days to find a place to move to. It appears the roommate arrangement my son had made isn't panning out as he had hoped, so for the time being, he will remain with us, and three days after finding out the condo is being listed for sale, a potential buyer is already viewing it tomorrow. Life moves fast at times and learning how to process what is going on and adjust quickly is the only way to keep moving forward.

I have come to believe that everything works out in the end, no matter how drastic the changes might appear. There is little reason to fret about circumstances when that energy is better used exploring solutions to bridge the gap any upheavals creating. It isn't as though I don't feel the stress that some of these changes create, without a doubt I do, it's just that I cannot allow that tension and worry to take over my days. I am ineffective if I am consumed by things beyond my control, and lamenting about things that I may not have wanted to occur is a pointless exercise, as what is underway cannot be undone.

Learning to be adaptable is perhaps one of the most important lessons I've learned over the years. Pliability, resourcefulness and the ability to maintain balance during shifts and uncertainty are essential to happiness. I have no intention of allowing the unexpected to diminish all I've worked for and achieved, particularly my happiness. Rather than worry about the impacts of this most recent choppy water, I'm choosing to see the adventure in staying afloat and the challenge of navigating to the other side.