Loss as Gain
Our natural reaction to loss is sadness.
Let sadness impel you forward, focus on something new to overshadow sorrow.
Being sad can get you started, but don’t think of why you started—more that you did.
Something bad happened? See it as opportunity.
Comfort and complacency overlap. The former can become the latter.
Discomfort promotes growth. What’s something you’re proud of? Was it comfortable?
They say life begins outside your comfort zone. Cliches are true, “that’s how they become cliches.”
Dating with a brain injury isn’t always comfortable but has been positive. I’ve spent time with people I wouldn’t have; my self-esteem is the highest it’s been in years; I get to talk about birds.
If the blanking of your slate was outside your control, control what you can: your reaction.
Reframe negatives as positive. It might feel like mental gymnastics, with time it won’t.
Perhaps a loss was necessary. We don’t want to leave familiar comforts, but their absence is often where positive change happens.
The absence of the familiar provides space for new things; it showcases what you were prioritizing that you shouldn’t have been.
Losing what you knew makes space for what you don’t know yet.
Recommended Reading
“…our human habit of saying that someone or something made us feel something is actually completely false.”
Signs -
,“Other people’s limitations (hell, hesitations!) are not a yardstick to measure anything by but their own lack of imagination and hope.”
I like this point you make James: "Reframe negatives as positive. It might feel like mental gymnastics, with time it won’t." This is a great practice and I like to use this idea as well. Excellent images and thanks for sharing.
Beautiful post, James. Thank you.