When the life you planned suddenly falls apart or takes a very discrete change of route, the situation you are left in may feel like a terrifying chasm of uncertainty or nothingness;
And… It can also exemplify a magnificent opportunity.
Here’s why I say this…
If I’ve (Christine) learned anything during the course of my life so far, it’s that you can’t expect everything to go the way you planned. Whether we are talking about career plans, health plans, relationship plans, financial plans, travel plans – you name it – life rarely does exactly what we expect it to. Curveballs, discrete route changes, whatever you want to call them, are a normal and unpredictable part of life.
On 2nd November 2016 at 11.19 a.m. my life took a very discrete change of route where I felt like my life was falling apart – literally! The surgeon on the other end of the phone (one week after emergency surgery) said “We have the pathology results back and you have cancer”. Everything I had ever experienced in my life to that date, shot past my eyes in a matter of nano-seconds. For a moment, I thought that was it. That was my final chapter.
The chasm was BIG, it was DARK, and it was full of NOTHINGNESS!
After the initial shock and emotional surges, I experienced, in that next moment I recognised a magnificent opportunity. Yes, I was able to respond very quickly, because I have trained myself to rapidly shift my mindset from obstacles to opportunities. I have learnt what it takes to be in the depths of despair and then be able to find that magnificent opportunity buried deep in that dark chasm.
So, the next time you feel like your life is falling apart or has taken a very discrete or abrupt change of course, implement these 5 Tactics and you’ll be able to discover the magnificent opportunities that surround you, no matter what!
1. Prioritise the present moment – consciously and intentionally place your focus and attention on the present moment. Rather than wishing things were different, waiting for when something happens, go with the flow of what is now. We cannot change the past and we cannot predict the future. Maybe it is just perfect right now. Maybe this is where we are meant to be, to grow and develop from. When we allow ourselves to BE in this present moment, we experience less stress, have greater clarity of thought and solve problems effortlessly.
2. Master your emotions – If you allow your emotions to take over and run the entire show, then you will experience ongoing confusion, overwhelm, and anxiety. It will not be pretty. However, when you pause and name your emotions, you create space between you and them. This space allows you to assess and deal with your emotions in a way that serves you. When in that space – give yourself a break! Nothing good comes from spinning out of emotional control.
‘You are not your emotions; you feel your emotions’ Michael Singer.
3. Get comfortable BE-ing uncomfortable – growth, change and expansion doesn’t happen when we settle for comfort, mediocrity and acquiescence. It is in the moment of being uncomfortable that we may just realise we are so much more capable than we previously imagined. Growth, change and expansion happen when we get uncomfortable and when we experience confusion. We can then up-level our mindset and cultivate a pathway forward that is sprinkled with magnificent opportunities.
4. Re-evaluate your purpose or ‘why’ – sometimes those curveballs are actually a blessing in disguise. It’s often hard to comprehend this concept while lying in that deep dark chasm of nothingness. In this moment of opportunity, re-evaluate your purpose, your why. Ask yourself the following questions: Are you BE-ing the person you were put on this earth to be? Are you happy? What drives you? Can you up-level your mindset to align with your true self?
5. Take care of YOU – do the things that fill up your cup! Allow yourself to feel all the feels and think all the thoughts that are going on in your head and heart. Self-care is doing those things that fill you up mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. For example: eating well, sleeping well, engaging in physical activity, being in green spaces, meditating, being mindful in your daily practices, maintaining connections with uplifting people, breathing exercises, practicing daily journaling and stimulating your brain by learning and reading.
We can rarely if ever, control major life changes and need to accept that life often doesn’t go the way we planned. The only thing we can control is how we respond to it. Take slow deliberate steps throughout each day. Follow through with each of these 5 Tactics to empower yourself to shift from the deep dark chasm to magnificent opportunities.