A lot of people I know seem to be starting over and that’s equal parts terrifying and exciting. Well, at the least 80/20. I have had my share of reboots over the years and will likely have a few more before I croak, and I’m always amazed by the cycle of rebounding.  Turns out you just have to box out a little and jump.

Life is random and can change in a moment. I’m reminded of this daily as I turn on the news. Just yesterday in my town, a 54 year old guy made a u-turn on a busy street and someone t-boned him and killed him. 5 seconds earlier he was driving down the road rocking to Carribean Queen or something and the next minute. Dead. 

Okay. That was a terrible example of something you can bounce back from. BUT! It does prove that no matter how bad your day was, if you’re alive and kicking this morning, you can agree to get up and fight the good fight. From there, it’s on. 

Bouncing back is all about staying in the game (these cliches are getting bad), but seriously, most of the time if I get up and start moving and pick a target, things get going for at least awhile. Then, if you allow it, your mood can improve and ta-dah!! You’re back.  

Back to the original premise here, starting over.  It’s terrifying because we can’t control all of the unknowns and sometimes things seem insurmountable. That’s a  lonely feeling.  For me, when things feel insurmountable, there’s an initial feeling of “how the eff am I going to figure this one out?”  This is usually followed by me scanning through my options. And OPTIONS are the answer. We all have so many more than we realize until we have to sit back and think about them. You have people out there willing to help you. Sometimes you have to ask, and that may seem tough, but most people want to help. 

Second, (or first?), start. Inaction yields over analysis and that creates anxiety which is depressions best friend.  Motion, while not 100% of the answer, at least creates OPTIONS which we’ve already determined are exciting.  Start. Start. Start. 

Finally, smile.  Even if the audacity in the light of what you’re going through seems ridiculous.

#hugsandhi5s