Sometimes change can shock and immobilize you. Sometimes you have no idea where to go, what to do, or what the path forward looks like. Sometimes the vision of your future that you’ve held onto for so long dissipates and you have no idea what life will look like.
During difficult times all you have to do is reach. Reach out and reach in. Look around you and realize all that you have, even if it’s not the same as before. Look within you and find all the strength that you need to move forward. The difficulty doesn’t lie in accepting change. The difficulty lies in having the faith to move forward. Have faith that you have all you need. Have faith that you are who you need to be in order to keep going.
My experiences took me out of my element. I didn’t know how to deal with the hand that I was dealt and the experiences I faced. I was dying for years. One day I decided that if I was already experiencing the worst, then I might as well hope for better. Anything would be better. And one day, everything was. In this post are ways in which you can reach out and reach in during difficult times so that you can move forward. Each section has journal prompts to help you get started.
What Reaching Out Looks Like
Reaching outward is all about shifting your focus to the abundance all around you. When you realize that everything you desire is either out there for you to get or is within your power to create, you open the doorway to numerous realities for you to choose from. But when you are focused on lack and scarcity the only reality you will experience is one of lack.
Reaching out can look like:
Being open to opportunities.
Maintaining open to opportunities and actively searching for them is one way to reach outward. In order to stay open to opportunities you have to have an optimistic attitude and be willing to change or get out of your comfort zone. Know that there is a path forward, you just need to find it. If you are open to the possibilities the world has to offer you, then you will find exactly what you need.
- Which pessimistic thoughts are holding you back from accepting or looking for opportunities? Write them down. Then rip them, burn them, run them over with a car, get rid of those thoughts once and for all.
- Replace each pessimistic thought with a positive one. Read them often.
- What can you do today to get one step closer to your goal? (It could be brainstorming solutions, researching, planning, making a phone call, filling out an application, etc.)
Maintaining connectedness.
Reaching outward also entails maintaining connected with loved ones and being open to making new connections. When you maintain a theme of connectedness in your life, you open up the doors to blessing others and receiving blessings from others as well. Not to mention, the more you nurture your relationships, the happier you will feel. Even when you are on shaky ground, knowing that you have support from others can help you keep your head up and feel more at ease.
- Who havent you spoken to in a while? Why haven’t you? Reach out to them.
- Are you holding back any information about yourself from some people in your life? Why? What can you tell them about yourself so that they feel closer to you and you to them? Do this exercise to learn to be more open.
Offering your help to others.
The same way someone else is capable of helping you in a time of need, so are you. The more you practice this, the more you will attract the energy of receiving and abundance. Even when you feel like you have nothing to give, you still do. Your smile, your company, or even a simple flower you picked can mean the world to someone. Practice giving and practice appreciating all that you are given.
- Recount a time when you were shown kindness that you will never forget.
- What can you do today to make someone else smile?
- If a loved one was talking about how charitable you are, what would you want them to say?
What Reaching In Looks Like
Reaching inward requires you to shift your focus within yourself and realize that you are capable of creating the life you desire. Not only must you realize all of the potentiality that lives within you, you also have to recognize all of the ways your potential has manifested already. Some examples of manifested potential include having learned a skill, becoming good at something, having commitments with your time and energy such as going to school or work, taking care of others, having made something etc. When you recognize all the ways you have proven capable you will start to see that who you are currently is more than enough to get through a situation and manifest the life you truly desire.
Reaching in can look like:
Practicing self-acknowledgement.
The same way we congratulate others for their achievements, we should also congratulate ourselves. We often tend to take ourselves for granted simply because we get so caught up in everything that we have to do day to day. When you take a few minutes to pause and reflect on everything that you’ve done you may find yourself in awe with how much you’ve already accomplished. Even if you havent reached a certain goal yet, allow yourself to feel fulfilled and proud of what you’ve already done. And know that you can get through anything.
- Think back to five years ago. What have you learned? In which ways have you grown?
- What have you done so far towards your goals? (this can include going to school, saving money, making a game plan, etc.)
Doing the “difficult” things.
The more you do things that you think would be difficult, the more proof and confidence you will gain about your capabilities. The good news is a lot of times things aren’t really difficult at all, but you’re avoiding them can make them turn into difficult situations. Have you ever procrastinated on making a phone call or doing something that would only take a few minutes of your time, just to find out later on that because you waited so long it’s not as simple to do as it would’ve been? Try doing these small tasks asap so that you can feel more accomplished and capable.
- When was the last time I pushed past my comfort zone? What happened?
- What is something you’ve always wanted to do but have not because it’s challenging?
- In what areas can you improve? How can you go about improving? Do one small act towards improving today.
Learning something new.
Learning something new is a great way to reach within yourself. When you are learning something new you initially face the part of yourself that feels inadequate in that area. But with time, you feel less inadequate and more confident of the fact that you can learn anything you desire. This would prevent you from getting discouraged when an opportunity requires you to change or learn something you don’t know because you are confident in the fact that you can change and can learn anything.
- What have you learned that you are grateful to now know?
- What are things you’d like to learn that would make your life easier? What is a small step you can do today to get started?
More Journal Prompts
- Was there ever a time you didn’t know how you would get through a situation, but you did get through? What did you do? Did anyone help in any way?
- Do you trust that you can get yourself out of this situation? Imagine the successful version of you, what was her first step? What mindset did she have?
