Falling Upwards

“When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the
closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.”

– Alexander Graham Bell

Which, for many of us, leaves us with the nagging question – what do we do for a Second Act? We spend most of our lives pursuing a dream, career or ambition and then, all of a sudden, those opportunities long longer exist. It could be for reasons of an economic slowdown, failing health,basic retirement, or, as in my case, an unexpected legal problem that came from out of nowhere. Regardless of the reason, though, it’s critical to look forward with hope and passion of tomorrow instead of dwelling in the memories of what used to be.

 
For most of us that means discontinuing the social connections and daily structures we had
become accustomed to. That can be a scary thought at the outset. You fell into a comfortable routine, felt a sense of fulfillment and drew comfort from the respect of your peers. You now need to reset your mindset for the rest of the journey, developing fresh helpful habits and drawing comfort, pride and self-esteem from an entirely new pursuit. You must be flexible and adapt to change, prepared for the new adventures that lie ahead.
My powerful and instantaneous paradigm shift first impacted me as a discomforting shock as I struggled with uncertainty and unforeseen consequences. However, I quickly concluded that I still had the power to control my own destiny going forward provided I took correct measures to set myself on the right path. I came up with general guidelines that helped see me through and helped me adjust to the new normal.