3 Keys to Thriving After a Life-Shattering Crisis
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Accept What Is
Release What Was
Create What Must Be
Andrea Balt
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Acceptance
Learning to thrive again after we experience a life-shattering crisis requires us to get to a place where we can accept the truth of our reality today. This does not happen right away as we need lots of time to honor and grieve what we've lost.
Sit in it
In the aftermath of your crisis, allow yourself to sit in your grief or anger for as long as you need to. Then, only after you're ready, accept the reality of your situation as it is today.
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Release What Was
Let Go
Whether good or bad, we must let go of what was. This is a process of healing. Initially we want to revisit our past experience many times, and that's okay.
Allow yourself to consciously sit in your thoughts until you're ready to release them once more.
Telescopes and Hot Air Balloons
To put bad experiences away, try viewing the situation through the wrong end of a telescope to gain distance from them.
To tuck thoughts of nasty people away after you're done revisiting them, visualize putting them into a hot air balloon and watching them fly far, far away. Then notice how blue and open the sky is above you. Feel the moment of unencumbered freedom settle into your bones.
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Create What Must Be
Yes, it Takes Time to Rebuild Your Life
When we're in the immediate aftermath of a life-shattering crisis, it's hard to see our way through the fog of emotion. But every time we take one step towards dealing with the situation we strengthen ourselves to take another.
Initially keep your eyes on your present needs, and take small daily steps to reset your life. Re-energize yourself by eating, sleeping and resting regularly. If you can, take 5 minutes walks throughout the day to help regulate your body and give your mind a rest from thinking. You are strong and resilient, but you must help yourself find that strength and resilience by taking care of yourself in these little, daily ways.
Small Daily Decisions Over a Lifetime Add Up
When we accept what IS and release what Was, we free ourselves up to Create What must Be. This is a process of resetting our thoughts, visions and actions one step at a time.
Small daily decisions over a lifetime add up. We can create what must be through those small daily decisions. When you look back five years down the road after making small daily decisions to take small daily steps, you'll be amazed by how far you've come and how strong you've shown yourself to be.
Stay strong. Be Brave. Keep putting one foot in front of the other.
We carry our burden on and on,
until one day, suddenly,
we laugh and set it down.
Muriel Strode
