Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Coping With Life's Constant Changes

Greetings Dear Reader! 😃

Thanks for dropping by. We all know change is constant in life. While change can be extremely uncomfortable; especially, when it is unexpected or not orchestrated by us; we also know that stagnation is much worse. At least with change we have the opportunity to grow, learn, and evolve in some way. 

I highly believe that life is for living (participating), loving (connecting), learning (growing and evolving), and sharing (getting and giving feedback, and taking in and imparting what we've learned). And change is constantly occurring as we do these things. 

Constant change is inevitable as evidenced by improvements in technology (although I still have a Samsung III); marriages and divorces; births and deaths; graduations; companies downsizing or growing;  businesses opening or closing; natural disasters or land development; and...well, you get the idea. 

Fortunately, change provides opportunities to get better at living, loving, learning, sharing.

Already your life has changed in many ways, and it will continue to change until you take your last breath. Therefore, it is wise to be patient with yourself as you find ways to cope while attending this humongous and dynamic school called life.

Below Are Ways To Cope With Change (be sure to click on the links for more information):

1) Be appreciative.  If the change is something you wanted, give thanks, express gratitude, and enjoy it. If the change is uncomfortable, be appreciative about the fact that change is temporary.

2) Practice patience. As stated above, change is temporary. Still, it is easy to feel frantic and uncomfortable about it. When you choose, or have been forced, to make a change, be patient with getting through the newness of the situation. Think about a time in your life when you got a new job, or moved to another state or a different neighborhood. Eventually you went from making a change to having changed. Each change comes with a before, during, and after. But in each phase all you have is the present moment so make an effort to be patient with the process. https://www.amazon.com/Patience-Acquire-This-Powerful-Virtue-ebook/dp/B01EMOALK8/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

3) Choose faith over fear. Have faith in your ability to find solutions to changes that are challenging. Look for ways to change a bad situation, relationship, job situation, or relationship into a more positive one. Fear paralyzes us from finding solutions or being able to calm our nerves. I don't know anyone who doesn't feel fear from time to time, but we must make the effort to replace thoughts of fear, which paralyzes us from finding solutions, with thoughts of faith that we can cope and will get through whatever challenging change we are faced with.

Share this post with a friend and feel free to leave a comment.

Best wishes for your optimal health and wellness!
Kaja Green-Tovar


Friday, April 7, 2017

Making Life Changes After Forty

Greetings Dear Reader!

During April 2017, I will be writing here about making life changes in your life after forty. Next month I'm turning forty-two, and you know what? I don't mind so it really doesn't matter!At one point I dreaded telling my age, but these days instead of caring about how many years old I am, I care about the life in my years.
 
Whether you are twenty-two, forty-two, or sixty-two, or beyond, as an adult you get to CHOOSE, DECIDE what you focus on and DETERMINE what actions you take.Unless you are behind bars, you are free to spend your minutes, hours, days the way you want.
 
Recently, a life change I made is returning to university for my master's degree.  I started towards a master's degree in my late thirties, but had to put it off for personal reasons. Fortunately, I felt compelled to restart my journey to earning a master's degree and I got accepted into the University of Wisconsin where I am already signed up for classes for the Fall 2017 semester.
 
If you are thinking about returning to school or starting some endeavor (fitness competitions, a business, a family, a new relationship, joining a community sports team, taking martial arts classes, learning a new language, how to play an instrument, or whatever else) after age forty, please do yourself a huge favor and go for it!
 
Remove mental limits from yourself. You may feel nervous, apprehensive, or little anxious when you make a change in your life, but be brave and do it anyway. As soon as you take that first step, that initial action, applaud yourself, pat yourself on the back, for having courage to improve your quality of life or take on a new endeavor.
 
As I return to university, I will be sure to get involved in some worthwhile university function. While I was getting my undergraduate degree, I was involved in the Health Promotion Club on campus and Toastmasters International in the community. Currently, I am involved in a wonderful Toastmasters club again and I will look for an opportunity to be involved with campus life as well even though I also work outside the home and write. I share this to encourage you to get out there and make the changes you fantasize about. Dreams can only become a reality through persistent action while being patient with your progress. 
 
Your life is just that--YOURS. Unless you are expected to die tomorrow, you might as well pursue your goals as if you will live to one-hundred, while incorporating love in your life as if you just might die at any moment.
 
I hope this post encourages you to make some positive life changes regardless of being forty-plus-years-old.
 
Here's a book about a group of women of different ages and races who made life changes when facing relationship woes: https://www.amazon.com/Hooray-He-Cheated-K-G-T-ebook/dp/B01B1PDVJY/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
 
Best wishes for your optimal health and wellness!
Kaja Green-Tovar :-)