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An Enlightening Exercise
  Answer these questions –
     “What is the worst crisis you’ve ever been through?”
     “What would your life be like now if that crisis had never occurred?”
      “What did you gain from your crisis?”
 
Your new sense of self can be whatever you choose it to be. Now ask yourself the question, “Who do you want to be?” The answers to this question can be one of your roadmaps to the future.
 

Letting Go and Building Anew

A life crisis can be a blessing in disguise because it forces us to respond to what we really need in our lives. It gets us down to the root of who we really are. The crisis allows us to let go of our old life and to create a new one that can be more fulfilling. Yet we resist the change because it forces us to challenge our definition of who we have always been. We need to let go. But we resist letting go because we feel the need to hold on to the illusion of control. We must let go of those parts of our lives that are no longer appropriate for us to hold on to. They no longer work for us. But we can hold on to those things that we truly need and that will define who we want to be in the future.

 
 
 
“The pain of birth is the pain of death and the pain
of death is the pain of birth.”
– Ram Dass

 

Some Practical Steps for Getting Through a Life Crisis

1. Live in the moment. A life crisis might feel like a permanent condition – a painful and lost existence. Take one step at a time as you go through each day. Try not to focus on the past, which can’t be changed, and let the future unfold as it will. For now, stay in the present and get your bearings. When your world is in turmoil, it is normal to feel confused. Your old tools for survival may not work any longer, and it is time to explore new ways of dealing with everyday problems.

2. Find support in other people. It’s difficult to endure a crisis alone. Identify your crisis (divorce, grieving, financial loss, a medical
issue, etc.) and find other people who have been through a similar crisis. Try not to isolate and work this through by yourself, although
this might seem the most comfortable option. A therapist is trained to help you in a confidential and professional way. A support group of people who have been through a similar experience can understand and accept your feelings. Find a trusted mentor who can help guide you through this period of confusion with practical advice.

3. Draw on your full range of strengths. Try to find a good balance between the various components of your personality – your ability
to think, your emotions, your intuition, and your spiritual self. You may feel more comfortable, perhaps, as a thinker – but understand that this is limiting. A person cannot usually think their way through a life crisis. You also need your ability to feel, and sometimes your gut feelings give you the best course of action. A crisis is a time of growth and adapting to new situations, and for this tremendous challenge you need to use your whole self.         

 

Continued on Page 4

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Last modified: 03/08/2008