Navigating change in life can be difficult. During our journey in life, we never know what may come our way. Life will throw you unexpected curveballs. Curveballs are simply unpredictable turns that can cause havoc in our life. When the unexpected happens, it can be challenging to adjust and move forward. Curveballs are not failure, they are setbacks. Setbacks are simply a detour.

Setbacks take us by surprise but they also instill resilience and strength, two significant skills needed for success. Life is like an elevator, a ride of ups and downs. Sometimes the downs bring us to thinking that the future has no hope for a particular situation but the truth is, there is ALWAYS hope.

Change is inevitable. It occurs constantly in life. Nothing ever stays the same and unfortunately, bad things do come our way. Setbacks come as a complete surprise and you’re left feeling a plethora of emotions. Life was going along and everything was moving in the right direction and then something unexpected happens and your expectations are simply shattered. Your natural response to a negative event may be denial, lashing out in anger or complete sadness. Some people experience all three. We sometimes need to hit a “pause button” to reflect on the occurrence and figure out what adjustments need to be made in order to move forward.

The reality is that we need to accept the change and embrace the setback. Remember it’s not a permanent block in the road. Recognize that you have the power to adapt with change. You know what’s best and you have what it takes to work through any curveball thrown your way. We may be limited but we are not helpless.

Once you recognize the curveball, you can come up with a strategy to recover from it. At this point you take that strategy and implement new habits, new ideas and new routines.

It’s okay to be angry. You have every right to be upset. After all, the world as you knew it has shifted. The fact is you can’t predict the future but you can navigate through any changes. Remember what appears as a huge loss at the moment could actually be a blessing in disguise!

Curveballs are so incredibly painful because they really make us feel like we have no control over what happened. You believe you were doing all of the right things but in spite of your efforts, the result you wanted didn’t materialize. Again, it is important to remember that what occurred is leading you on a path to something better even though you may not be able to see it at the moment.

Every curveball thrown our way leaves us with an opportunity to have a different perspective and learn. We learn from every experience. Look at any and all available resources you have to help you during this transitionary period. Support systems and people you trust are able to provide guidance or simply a listening ear.

It is crucial to change your thoughts and implement new strategies necessary to attain the vision you hold. The setback will provide you with new wisdom to attain your vision. The end result will be better than you can imagine.

Life recently threw me a curveball that in all honesty, I never saw coming. I was unprepared to deal with the emotions that hit me. I was not only in disbelief, but I was angry and to be frank, I was very sad. I was caught so off guard and it was very emotionally challenging. It gave me added stress and caused me to lose a lot of sleep as well.

I have always been a positive person so I was able to tell myself positive things. The truth is the sun will rise every morning, the birds will always sing beautiful music and life still needed to be lived as it always was. I had two choices. I could either let this setback consume me or I could allow it to motivate me. I decided to choose motivation.

Perspective is everything. I used my inner navigation system to take back control of the situation I was put in and I moved forward in making necessary adjustments. I put myself back in the driver’s seat and became empowered. I found solutions and found my way around any obstacles. I realized that a whole new world of opportunities have been opened and what is coming will be so much better! The truth is, what I thought was a loss was actually a blessing in disguise.

The reality is it’s all about focusing on what we can control and finding a solution whenever we hit a bump in the road as we navigate through this journey of life.

That old saying “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade” teaches us that we can always find a way to deal with any curveballs thrown our way. Another great quote is “Giving up on your goal because of one setback is like slashing your other three tires because you have one flat.”

Setbacks make us stronger. They make us smarter. They can teach us, humble us and force us to move forward in the right direction. Every successful person has faced setbacks along their way.

Always use any setback as motivation. It’s fuel to power yourself forward. We can’t change the past and it’s unhealthy to dwell on the past. Moving forward with an optimistic attitude is a much better course of action.

“Life is happening for you, not to you.” The way you relate to something is everything. If you think that something is happening TO you, you may become passive. If you look at it differently to think that something is happening FOR you, you gain much more control over the situation and become proactive. It allows you to consider ways to navigate through this challenge. Take the wisdom you have gained and move forward.

Life’s unexpected turns are incredibly challenging but they also allow us to grow and transform. Allow yourself to feel the feelings, grieve the change and move forward. Your next chapter is going to be more fulfilling. Know that within yourself, you have the strength to navigate and flourish from any life challenges thrown your way. You’ve survived each thing life thrown at you and you will survive this too.

Always remember the setback is a setup for the comeback and the comeback will be better than you can ever imagine!