How do you manage to stay calm when things in your life are uncertain, you're unclear of which direction to take or what choice to make?
To be in limbo is to be in an uncertain period of awaiting a decision or resolution; an intermediate state or condition. Being in a state of limbo is anything but comfortable and can often times be extremely nerve-racking. It can feel like our sense of self is being rattled and our significance in the world is questionable.
If we define who we are by how secure things are in our lives, by who loves and values us, by what we do for a living, by how much money we make, by what we own or by how others perceive us, we run the risk of basing our self worth on external factors rather than from our internal compass. The relationship we have with our self needs to be solid and unwavering rather than solely dependent on things that are often out of our control.
Life seems to test our ability to bend or break during times of transition, uncertainty or change. As we grow older and wiser, we begin to understand that life is unpredictable and that most of the time we are not in control of what happens. We learn that the only thing we can control is our self and the choices we make. We choose how to manage our thoughts, emotions, and beliefs about our self during times when the roller coaster of life unexpectedly takes deep and scary plunges into the unknown.
What happens to your self worth when things fall apart concerning your relationship, your professional life, your finances or with a goal you set out to achieve that never came to fruition or just flat out failed?
I believe that much of what defines us is how we relate to our own self and more importantly, how we treat others during times when we are living at the top or when we are experiencing our most difficult bottom. When things are uncertain or don't go your way, notice if you allow yourself to get swallowed up by fear and insecurity. When situations in life cause you to feel painful emotions such as disappointment, loss, betrayal, rejection or confusion, it's important to get centered with self and find your inner strength so that you are able to recognize what you are really made of.
It is in these moments that we are stretched to grow, to learn who we are, to see our self as worthy (no matter what), and to discover that we may bend, but we do not break.