Turning Life Transitions Into Opportunities

While change can be exciting, people rarely find it easy to move through change.

Some changes are choices we make. When they are inspired by feeling open and excited, you feel ready for the change.

We can also choose to make a change because we face challenging circumstances and evaluate that making that change is our wisest decision, even if unwanted.

At other times changes are imposed on us. While these often feel distressing,  some can actually be a gift — even if only assessed that way in hindsight.

And when any change is underway at work, in the personal realm, or due to external conditions, there are easier and harder ways to move through change.

Choose the lens that will serve you best

When you are dealing with change of any kind you get to choose the way to view it. And you get to choose how to approach the process of navigating the change,

It’s easy to focus on what will be lost, and easy to understand why that is the usual response. 

And even when you are excited to make a change — say a relocation to a new city to live with a new partner, or to start an exciting new job — you can find yourself thinking about good things that will be left behind.

It could be a friend you hang out with on weekends, or a favorite bookstore or cafe that feels like a second-home, or a view you won't get to see every day after you move. 

And particularly when you face a change that is not your choice, you are likely to focus on what you will lose or miss.

And, it can be easier, even in worst-case situations. 

There are nearly always possibilities for an upside to the change — but you won’t find them unless you look for them.

One of my clients had to move from a beloved apartment she’d been in for 20 years, when the building owner decided to convert the building to a new use. The thought of quickly finding a new place and dealing with a move was daunting. 

After much sadness she chose to see it as an opportunity to find a home with more natural light — something she realized had been missing for years — and a small garden. 

She also realized she would get to touch everything she owned and take only what she really loved. Selling and donating things that were not truly meaningful turned out to give her great satisfaction. It also made moving and setting up in her sunny new place much easier and more enjoyable.

And in a situation where a client lost her job in a merger, after processing her emotions (hurt, resentment, fear), she was able to step back and realize that she now had new possibilities to consider. Asking, "What do I do now?" she asked herself what she really wanted.

With clarity about new possibilities, she was able to take action that led her to a a satisfying outcome she might otherwise never have reached. She now looks back on that layoff with gratitude.

There’s a creative gift embedded in change

When you look at change as full of possibilities, you can find tremendous opportunities to be a creator.

Once you choose a new point of view and frame of mind, new possibilities — including new possibilities for creative thinking — open up!

Rather than doing things as you always have, or as others you know have dealt with similar situations, you get to be curious and inventive.

• Ask yourself: Might there be other ways to move ahead or resolve this problem?
(Truth: other approaches are nearly always possible!) 

• Look for new directions that will bring you joy and satisfaction. (Consider: there may be something great waiting for you that you never imagined before.)

• Think of who else to turn to, to think creatively with you.
(Suggestion: think of optimists, creative problem solvers, people who are fun to "what-if" with. And consider having a coach to support you throughout your transition.) 

The more you activate creative thinking, the more energetic you will feel as you envision all the ways to make the most of every possibility, no matter what shows up for you. 

When you remember that you are filled with creative power, you’ll be unstoppable.

If you have a story about how you navigated change and thrived, email me and share it! 

From Ideas to Impact: Embrace Your Creative Potential Now

We all have an immense opportunity, each day, to create — in very small ways and in enormous ways.

We have this opportunity because we are all filled with creative power, and that energy is always available to you.

What creation can look like

When most people think about creating, things like being a painter or playing an instrument or writing poems or novels come to mind.

Many people also think creativity is something only extraordinarily talented people can claim.

I invite you to consider that the creative power you possess can be used to fuel creation of kinds you might never have thought about.

Can you imagine creating in these ways?

Focus on thinking like a creator 

Most of us briskly focus on tasks and activities that we need to check off our lists. Rarely do most people pause to take a beat and think about what they might create at each juncture.

Creative thinking means questioning the next step or action to take, being curious, and considering possibilities before acting.

• When you think like a creator you see options for a better approach to recommend or take. 

• You find a path forward that is brighter. 

• You get excited about a way to leverage a good opportunity and make it a great opportunity. 

• You find a better alternative than either of the alternatives someone has put before you.

You become a powerful creator of ideas and visions for what is possible.

Consider all the ways you can express yourself as a creator

There are infinite ways to create expressively, and great reasons to bring this awareness into your life.

If you like to make music, dance, draw or sing, go for it!

If none of the usual ways that most people think to create excite you, here are other ways to create that you may not have thought of as ways to “be creative”:

• If you love to cook, try combining flavors in new ways, consider the colors of foods you will put on a plate together to make the food beautiful, or experiment with dishes from another culture that intrigue you.

• If you enjoy doing things with your hands, knit, make crafts, or try pottery.

• If you like to build things, go for it.

• If you love color, get an adult coloring book, or doodle in fun colors, or pull out glue, scissors and some old magazines and make collages.

And, there is another meaningful way to express yourself as a creator.

Show up fully and share your ideas!

Whether your nature is to speak boldly or softly, saying what you believe, what you want to contribute, what matters to you is an important way to use your creative power.

Let’s create together today and every day!

Try to consider all of your opportunities to think like a creator today.

With a little awareness and focused exploration, you are likely to become a dynamic creative thinker without needing to concentrate on being one!

And experimenting to find ways of expressing yourself creatively can add immense joy to your life, when you create on your own and create with others. 

You will experience elevated positive emotions.

And any time you feel upset or frustrated, expressive creativity can help you to move though difficult emotions.

As we all create in powerful ways, we have a big collective impact.

We can change the world for the better together.

And, if you haven’t checked out my Big Ideas Inner Circle monthly subscription, it’s a great opportunity for you to access a monthly deep dive with me, complete with special exercises that will bring dynamic change to your life — all for the cost of going out for a monthly coffee. Join Big Ideas Inner Circle now!