You cannot go through any life-changing experience, good or bad, for it not to affect YOU. I know this for a fact because I have gone through one, and I know I am not the same Emma and will never be the same Emma again. But the good thing is I used this negative experience to help me GROW!!!
For the past ten months, I have had to deal with an ongoing health issue (Click to read https://www.emmapoindujour.com/post/4-weeks-ago-i-almost-died ), had a car accident, and while going through all this, I had to be a mom, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a full-time employee, and a weekly blogger. I have been stretched beyond my mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical capacity to the point where I started questioning some of my views on life, success, and people. I realized my views depended on the lenses I had on at the moment. I realized yellow wasn’t yellow; it only looked yellow because I wore my yellow sunglasses. But once life forced me to remove my sunny yellow sunglasses, I saw certain things’ true colors, and my perception of them changed.
"The lenses we use to analyze life, people, and success are often based on our circumstances."
We live in a period where everyone is about securing THE BAG. Back in January, I was one of them- Remember??? But what happens when you don’t have the mental, emotional, or physical capacity to secure it? What do you do when on your way to secure the bag, Life happens? You need to…
1- PAUSE!!! First, I hit the pause button in my life. I realized, as a determined person, I could have caused myself more harm by continuing to pursue my goals when my whole well-being was screaming pause. What was the purpose of chasing dreams I might never fully enjoy because I wasn't emotionally and physically equipped to receive them? I also had to LEARN to press pause on allowing life and others to pressure me.
2- GO BACK TO THE BASICS!!! I started scheduling more "ME Time" to find joy in life's simple pleasures, like watching a good detective TV show, walking to clear my mind, or simply giving myself the space to breathe and laugh. These simple acts kept my mindset positive and strong.
3- BELIEVE!!! You need to hold on to your belief. I believe in divine timing. So if something hasn’t manifested in my life yet, it’s simply not the right time. That belief kept me sane for the past nine months when opportunities passed me because I was too drained to respond.
4- REFLECT!!! I had to acknowledge that something had happened that changed me and shifted my perspective on a lot of things. I had to start looking at life through new lenses.
Today, if you were to ask me, “How do I define SUCCESS?”, my answer would be quite different. Success, for me now, is synonymous with being mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically healthy, while being financially stable enough so that money no longer dictates my life with the constant reminder of my bills and responsibilities. As I mentioned earlier, I used my life-changing experience to grow. I have evolved into a NEW WOMAN, and thus far, I am enjoying this new version of me.
In conclusion, if you are going through a life-changing experience, even a good one like buying a new house, getting married or pregnant, or starting a new business, know that it will affect you. The quicker you sit down and analyze the changes it has created in you, the quicker you can get to the mental and emotional tools you will need to continue your journey successfully.
Until next time,
Emma
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