Excerpts from Get Your Combat Boots on Ladies, and Don’t Forget Your Mascara!!
Transition periods offer opportunities for growth but they often accompany setbacks and disappointments that bruise our self-esteem.
When people leave us (even through death), we suffer a form of rejection. A job disappointment causes us to question our worth and discourages us from stepping out again. The empty nest can make us feel alone, useless, without a strong focus or goal. A broken marriage often makes us feel unwanted. Is any of this really true? Absolutely not! The American writer, Sally Kempton, once said, “It’s hard to fight an enemy who has outposts in your head.” That is most certainly where our transformation must begin, in our strong, resilient mind!
During times of transformation, we are often too hard on ourselves and demand unreasonable expectations. When we don’t meet those expectations, we can become even more upset with ourselves and self-defeating attitudes and behaviors perpetuate more of the same.
Hear me out: This time, you are going to do it! If this is where you are currently:
• Back off and rest. It is okay (and necessary) to take a break and gain new perspective.
• Say no to unreasonable expectations, whether from yourself or others important to you.
• Assess what you need to change. Write out your list so you can track the sequence of steps needed, and your progress. Take your time and revisit your list nightly.
• Look in the mirror each day with positive affirmations that pertain to you personally. The only way to change your situation is to change the thought patterns and words that are steering you down an undesirable path. What if you vowed to lose 25 pounds, lost five, and then gained two back?
The beauty is that you can just start again.Pat yourself on the back for your persistence! Pick up where you left off.
Who can help you get to the next step? Teacher? Pastor? Friend? Community Leader? Mentor? Make a list of possibilities, and then ASK.
Do it this week! Stay tuned for more life transition tools from Transformation Academy. See more blog posts at www.transformationacademy.com.