Accepting the Cycles of Life -- How to Change Your Circumstances

Accepting the Cycles of Life — How to Change Your Circumstances

Written by Lovelyn on July 28, 2009 – 11:18 am -

My stepson is staying with his mother for the summer holiday. He went there about a week ago and will be there for six weeks. Yesterday, he called because he and his mother had an argument. “I hate arguments,” he kept saying on the phone. “Now my whole summer vacation is ruined. I can’t believe my whole vacation is ruined.” He kept insisting that his vacation was ruined because of one simple argument.

This example is extreme because my stepson has Asperger’s Syndrome and is very single minded. He focuses on one thing and can only see that thing from a single perspective. In his mind, his whole trip is ruined and no matter what anyone says to him it will be ruined because of one small event. Though we may not do it to this extreme, how many of us have a similar attitude in our own lives?

The Phases of Life

As we grow and learn our circumstances change. In most areas in life, when you start out you start at the bottom. You don’t have much experience and know very little. There is an enormous amount you have to learn. As you grow and gain experience over time and because of your effort, you know much more and are able to accomplish more. You continue to stack blocks of knowledge and experience one on top of the other. This is true in all aspects of life–career, education, and personal relationships.

The more you know and the more you experience, the more capable you become. The more capable you are, the more you can achieve in life.

Just as our circumstances in life change, our emotions and feelings about our situations in life go through a natural cycle. Sometimes you feel great about life, sometimes things aren’t so great, and sometimes you’re just plain depressed. This is a natural part of being alive.

These Phases are Temporary

The way you feel and the circumstances you are in are temporary. If you’re struggling financially now, don’t make the mistake of assuming that will always be your circumstance. If you do make that assumption it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you decide that this is a temporary stage in your life you are more likely to do the things required to change your circumstances.

The same is true with your feelings. Emotions are in flux. If you are sad now, you won’t be sad all the time. If you are happy now, you won’t necessarily be happy all the time. In the natural course of one a day you experience a wide range of emotions. You can choose how you react to your circumstances.

Moving Towards Change

Here are some steps you can use to make the changes in your life.

Acknowledge your current circumstances and what you find unsatisfying about them.
Accept that these circumstances are temporary.
Commit to change.
Make a plan. You need to know how to move forward.
Take action. Do something daily to move you in the direction of the change you’re seeking.

If you want change to come, you need to do something to start that change. You must take action and accept responsibility for your life as it is now and as you want it to become. Your life now is the result of things you’ve done in the past. Your life in the future will be the results of the actions you take now. The sooner you act, the sooner you’ll see change in your life.

Photo by notsogoodphotography

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