Have you ever driven down with a friend, and then they make an abrupt turn. That gives you a jolt, and makes you wonder where you are going or why your friend made the quick turn. Sometimes that happens in life too--you're rolling along, and then an abrupt turn occurs. You think your life is headed one way, and then all of a sudden it is headed in a different way. How do you handle these abrupt changes?
Similar to the abrupt turn in a car ride, the same is true with an abrupt turn in life--you typically start with questions:
- Why the turn?
- Where are we headed?
- How can I help?
Then there's the adjustment -- I thought we were headed this way, but now I have to adjust because we're headed in a different way. What do I need to do?
- Let people know that there's been a change.
- Adjust your appointments if needed.
- Support the change in ways that you can.
When there's an abrupt turn, not everything has to change. Take the long view, and think about what you want to hold on to, and then take the short view, and see how you can adjust in ways that maintains the important aspects of life.
Recently in the news, there was a story of a family facing an abrupt change after an unfortunate accident. The life they expected was changing in many ways, but I'm sure they'll maintain their loving time, special celebrations, and support for one another as they navigate new life paths and challenges, different from what they expected.
In our family, we experienced an abrupt change--while not totally unexpected, it was the kind of turn that demands us to think about next steps in thoughtful, caring, loving ways. Onward.