A friend went through a change during the past year.  Her company decided to down-size.  Right sizing was what she called it, when the cuts began.  She was sure that she’d have a job and be OK, since her task was vital to the organization. 
When her job was combined with another, and a more senior person was kept on to fulfill both sets of duties, she found herself out of work.  At fifty-plus it was the first time she had been let go from a job.
Initially, she was in shock.  “This isn’t really happening to me,” she kept saying, over and over.  “There must be some mistake.”  She walked around in a numb state, not really feeling any thing.  She couldn’t make decisions about what to fix for dinner, or even what she should wear.  And she felt sick.
“It was like I had a weird case of the flu.  My stomach was upset and I didn’t feel like eating anything.”
Within a few days the numbness wore off and she went through a range of emotions.  One minute she was angry and the next she found herself crying.  She was riding an emotional roller-coaster.  “They can’t do this to me!  I’ll sue,” she shouted.  And then, “What did I do wrong?  I’ll never find another job.  No one will want me.”
It took several more days to move into another stage of the change process, reorganization.  She decided it was time to do something.  She had bursts of energy as she read the want ads and sent out resume after resume.  Then she would find herself weary to the bone and wonder again if she could ever find another job.  Little by little the feelings of self-worth and optimism grew stronger and longer lasting.  When she did finally find another position, the apathy and detachment that had plagued her was gone.  She started the new job with enthusiasm and a sense of renewal.
In every change there are new potentialities.  It is up to each one of up to discover those possibilities.  During the process of change we go through several stages, similar to the stages of the grief process.  We must be gentle with ourselves and nurturing as we move through shock, confusion, physical symptoms, anger, anguish, depression, fatigue, apathy, and/or indifference.  When we finally feel those bursts of energy and interest we know we are on the road to renewal.  Life has a new set of alternatives for us.  Which possibility will you explore?

Affirmation: As I move through change, I will accept myself during the process.  And I begin the process of exploring the possibilities.