“When the ground beneath you crumbles- that is the moment you realize you have had wings all along. Use them.”- Kaylee Spinhirn

We have all had those weeks that just do not go anything like you planned and you feel you’re stuck on a dead end road.

This blog is came to you from after my week from hell in July. I am finally posting this blog since my world has shifted, again and I really needed these reminders. I am practicing letting go and having faith when I feel I’ve exhausted all of my other options and the rest is out of my control.

A series of events  kicked me right off my current track and onto my butt in July. It started when I had to move out of my apartment within 24 hrs after landing from a 19 hour flight. A flight that was my ticket home after a two month trip away.

That was just the beginning of the domino effect. My insurance lapsed while I was away, I lost my debt card with $10 in my pocket and 4,000 miles away from home, I didn’t have a forwarding address, there was no parking at my next place to crash, I had no food, I had no way to access money since the banks were closed for the long holiday weekend and my cell phone got shut off. Yes, all that happened within 7 days.

Best. Week. Ever.

One minute I was on one path and the next I was twirling around in pure confusion.

This is not the first time in my life where life has thrown me a curve ball. In fact I’m so well-versed I have created a formula to keeping it together when things fall apart. I hope you can think of these steps next time something doesn’t go as planned and you find it helpful.

1. Sit in the moment, feel the rush of emotions you are going through. I sat on my floor crying as I packed my house jet-lagged  to be moved out within 24 hrs of landing. My landlord decided to sell the apartment I had been living in for a couple of years while I was away for 2 months. I know crying solves nothing, but I did allow myself to accept the loss and sadness for the moment even if I could not find the logical words to explain why I was feeling this way in the first place.

2. Keep your thoughts to the facts. Don’t fall into the world of ‘what-ifs’, worries or dramatizing the reality. I often repeated only the facts, this practice helped me focus on the task at hand and to get through the challenge at-hand. I was simply taking my items from one place to the next. Those were the facts.

3. Remind yourself what you are grateful for. My gratitude list changed quickly to being grateful for food, electricity, a home etc. What you focus on expands so I wanted to focus on the things that I really needed.

 

4. Go with the flow. Sometimes when your life flips upside-down this is because the universe is shifting you (harshly) from one path to a new path. Just go with it, some things in this life you cannot control, the sooner you can accept that the better off you will be.

5. Ask for help. Reaching out for support is the smartest move anyone can make when they find themselves struggling. I really do not feel comfortable asking for help, but I have learned that we are all given different gifts and none of us have it all so we can share what we have with others.

6. Get Resourceful. When faced with a challenge it’s a good way to tap into your creative problem solving skills. I created some pretty interesting meals while I was without cash and food (anyone want an olive, cheese sandwich on bread or stale cereal? Mmmmmm).

7. Stay Positive.  Sometimes that’s easier said then done. I know I mentioned this one last, but it’s the most important step. Keep your support system nearby, reach out to them, be grateful, let go and stick to only the facts.

Change isn’t easy. Especially if you’re  a stubborn, adventurous, determined, independent soul like myself with slight (tons of) control issues. When I push up against life squeezing every ounce of opportunity from it, it is determined to push me back every once in a while and remind me who is boss.

It will all be OK. Maybe even great, if you allow it.