Have you ever watched a hockey game where the players are racing down the ice toward the goal and in an instant the puck is hit back in the other direction – and those magicians on ice pivot on a dime and chase it down in a split second?
Their bodies and minds are so set on that puck that they can change their direction almost as quickly as the puck does. They’re tuned in and fully committed to chasing the puck down – and they’ll fight to get to it!
They truly are magicians on ice!
And they’re the perfect role models for us!
No one’s life flows evenly without twists and turns, agony and loss, pain and grief. But those of us who have survived our childhoods and have begun the healing process, remember those time when the only choice we had was to pivot – to turn on a dime, to find a new way through even when there’s no way out.
I married my high school sweetheart and after having 3 children, he died unexpectedly in his 30’s. I was thrust into widowhood and single motherhood with no job, a mortgage and in the middle of my master’s degree program.
After I caught my breath, I realized that my kids’ whole world now resided in me. I had to be mom and dad, provider, grief counselor, repairman, lawn mower and home-school teacher.
I had to learn to pivot! And quick!
My life was like that hockey game – I didn’t know which way I was going and when I’d have to turn abruptly to keep our family together.
My children are grown now, but here’s 3 things I learned about PIVOTING.
You must have a goal and you must keep your eyes on it, ever moving toward it.
You must know yourself and what you’re capable of doing – and ask for help when you need it. Pass that puck! There’s a team of friends and family who are there to help.
You must rest when it’s needed. You can’t help anyone, most of all yourself, when you’re exhausted, worn out and need some peace and quiet. Take care of yourself. 💜
AND HERE’S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER – IT’S OKAY.
It’s okay to pivot, to change your mind, to scrap and fight to get where you want to be. It’s okay to leave it all behind and strike out on a new path. It’s okay to sell all your stuff and move. It’s okay to leave behind those people who aren’t on your team, who don’t support and encourage you, who hurt you and use you.
It's Okay.
All of us have a map app on our phones nowadays. Those apps show us how to get from point A to point B – step by step. We’re told to “turn right in a ¼ of a mile or turn left into the driveway.” And sometimes it tells us to make a u-turn.
What they mean is – you’re going in the wrong direction – you need to pivot.
Don’t be afraid of change. Don’t be afraid to turn around and go a different way. Life is so much fun when we take a new pathway and discover new things about ourselves and the world.
You can do this! Just keep your eyes on the prize, ask for help, and take care of yourself.
💜 Peace and blessings,
Zanna