I recently left my home in New York and moved to Texas.
In less than a month, my husband and I sold our house, found a new one, packed up the kids, the dog and all the rest of it.
We landed in 107 degree heat.
I spent that night crying a lot.
Change is hard.
But I’ve made a lot of changes in my life.
I moved to Memphis when I was 24 and I wouldn’t trade that time for anything.
I was a newspaper reporter for 12 years, then I became a mom and then a health coach.
With every terrifying change, wonderful experiences and new people have come into my life.
Without change, life can get boring.
What I've learned is this...When change knocks on your door, welcome it in.
Change might scare the hell out of you but it's always a friend with an armful of gifts.
Here are my three favorite ways for embracing change.
Talk it out
Talk to someone who will listen to you empathetically without trying to fix your problem.
You might have to tell them, “Just listen.” You can even set a timer and take turns venting.
Make room for good stuff
List all the things you are thankful for about the situation moving out of your life, even if it was a trainwreck.
Then list all the wonderful things you intend to get out of your new situation.
If it’s a new job, do you want to get paid more? Have closer friends in the office? Have time to workout?
This is a great way to let go of the past and get a clear picture of what you want in your future.
Be in the moment
Stop obsessing about the future.
When stepping into the unknown, we often start fixating on the future because it’s our way of not dealing with the real situation right in front of us.
When we’re not present, our mind usually creates horrible outcomes that keep us in fear.
When you find yourself slipping out of the moment into fear, take 10 slow breaths.
Then deal with what’s really in front of you. You may find it’s not as terrifying as you imagined.