Shift Happens.

“Sometimes we choose the shift, and sometimes the shift chooses us.”

I wrote that in Chapter 9 of The Stories We Tell Ourselves.

What it means is that life happens. Sometimes we can be sailing as smoothly as ever, but then a typhoon appears without a moment’s notice.

A car wreck.

A layoff.

A divorce.

An illness.

A death.

The list is endless. But the kind of shift I’m talking about doesn’t necessarily have to be related to unfortunate circumstances. Positive occasions can cause a radical shift in our thinking and behaviors too.

A new car.

A new job.

Getting married.

A clean bill of health.

A new lease on life.

Regardless of the reason that your life has changed, whether for good or ill, these life-changing events often force us to shift our perspectives on the world around us. We get the opportunity to look at who we were and who we want to be in light of recent events.

That’s an opportunity you should never take lightly. When you can take a moment to truly glimpse how your life might be better—even after having experienced tragedy—you should choose to seek healthy change when possible.

Instead of fighting against reality or lending further credence to the stories you tell yourself, take a step back, take a few deep breaths, then give serious consideration to what this event could teach you in light of how significantly your life has changed.

Shift happens. What you decide to do in the aftermath is what can make your life better no matter how much shift you have to deal with.