I have been through some pretty big changes in my life. In 20 years, I’ve had many different positions in five different industries, including being a small business owner. I’ve moved many times in many different states. I’ve had a children, gone back to school for a teaching license and was almost divorced. I am certainly no professional but through it all I’ve managed to stay pretty sane and like a rolling stone; I’ve gathered no moss and managed to keep moving forward. And it all starts with understanding how humans are hard wired. So, how do we keep change from driving us nutty and pushing us over the edge? How do we keep level headed when we often feel fearful and that events are out of our control?

We learned what was dangerous and when. In order to survive we needed to know what to expect. When things in our life change that we thought were safe and predictable, we feel uneasy and threatened. So, how can we cope today when threats to our well- being are often not literally life threatening but none the less very difficult to handle?

The most common feeling about change is fear. I am afraid… of losing my job, being unable to pay my bills, of not knowing what people expect from me, of looking like an idiot, of getting it wrong, etc. You get the picture. It is normal to have those feelings. We all do; it’s what you do with those feelings that really matters.

By this time in your life, you have probably already overcome some changes you weren’t expecting. And – you survived! It may have been by the skin of your teeth but you did it and I wager you learned a whole lot in the process. All of those changes, big and small have brought you to where you are today. That alone was a ton of hard work relatively speaking and significantly altered the course of your life. You have already developed the ability to thrive. Looking back and acknowledging the wins and the lessons from the losses offers perspective. If you did it once, chances are you will do it again. Celebrate! You are a survivor!

I’m not talking about the spiritual kind here, although that is certainly helpful. What I am talking about is faith in yourself. This is best summed up in this quote: “A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because its trust is not on the branch but in its own wings.” Find your wings and trust them. Maybe it is your previous experience in overcoming adversity; maybe it’s a close family or a deep spiritual belief that will carry you through. Whatever your wings are; find and embrace them.