As we all know, adaptability is a valuable character trait. Whether you choose to cultivate your adaptability or not can have a drastic impact on your attitude and happiness. When a major shift happens, good or bad, things go much easier when we can roll with the changes as opposed to putting up huge, “Do not force change!” signs.
Take for example, the current economic state of affairs. Who is having an easier time of it – people who have lost their jobs and are crying in their beer, or people who have lost their jobs and see it as an opportunity to live a more creative and fulfilling life?
I happen to be one of those people who lost a job and actually felt my entire being grow lighter as I breathed a sigh of relief that I could now move on to working toward my dreams. Sure, it sucks to lose a steady paycheck and an expected dental plan that didn’t even have time to kick it. What doesn’t suck is that I was freed from the restrictions of a job that: a) I was not very good at; b) Did not enjoy; and c) Did not have anything to do with what I truly want.
On the flip side, several others who faced the same layoff situation saw nothing but doom and gloom ahead, as though this bureaucratic, slightly above national-average-paying job was the only answer to survival. What I was witnessing was the complete denial of imagination. A layoff meant change. Fortunately for us, here in Canada, we have Employment Insurance (E.I.), so there is a bit of financial back up, which certainly helps, but is by no means the answer to our financial prayers.
As I was mentally going over my list of things to do, such as putting together online courses in cash management and creative living, developing workshops, brainstorming ways to promote my book, planning my next book, wondering if I should move elsewhere for better networking opportunities, etc., those around me shrugged their shoulders and said, “Oh well, I guess I’ll just ride it out on E.I. and wait for the callback. We’ll manage somehow. At least my partner is still working.”
I can only hope that some of my previous co-workers, after a few weeks of R & R, clued in that they have valuable skills, talents, abilities and ideas that, put into action, can make their lives better and contribute to the turnaround of this economic fiasco. These are intelligent people with life experience, networks and transferable skills who are fully capable of starting a home-based business or pursuing investment opportunities that could potentially launch them out of the rat race forever. If nothing else, how about dusting off that guitar in the corner or taking those long power-walks they talked about.
For me, I see nothing but blue skies and myriad opportunities right now. I got rid of everything that did not serve me, re-vamped my financial mindset and went straight to work on what I wanted to do. How do I feel? Unsettled, yes. Excited, yes. Optimistic, definitely. Sure, the future is uncertain and you can wait for everything to go back to the way it was, or you can take a good look at yourself right now and ask for more.
You choose: A life of settling for less, adapting to the situation in a fashion that requires negative change, or; A life of no regrets, taking this opportunity to live creatively and make a change for the better?
http://www.101reasonstobe.com/blog
Heather Loewen is passionate about creative living and helping others discover the joy to be found in following their dreams. Her book, '101 Reasons to be Yourself', has led to the development of an online course called, 'No Regrets 101', to be followed by another for the financially challenged, 'Cash Control 101'. For more on Heather Loewen, '101 Reasons to be Yourself' and 'No Regrets 101', stop by http://www.101reasonstobe.com/blog.