Positive Transition

Growing up in Michigan where there are four distinct seasons, I had a front row seat to watching nature constantly transition. Mother nature is the perfect teacher and will give back to you , what you have put into the Earth. Take time to embrace her each day and give thanks for the bounty she provides!

Make Transition a Positive Experience in Your Life

 As a little girl, I loved the Autumn, watching the leaves change colors, raking them into a huge pile at my grandparents house and jumping into the depths of their warmth. The crisp air gave way to hay wagon rides, homemade pumpkin pie and Big 10 football season. Once the long winter set in we would build fires, live off of hot beverages and pray for a snow day. As Winter transitioned into Spring the lakes and rivers rose and I always found myself disobeying my mother by playing in the creek behind my childhood home. Following the often violent Spring storms the hot and humid  Midwest summer would finally set in. I loved the Summer! I was fortunate to grow up camping all over the United States, hiking through National parks, swimming in the lake at our cottage and playing along the shores of Lake Michigan. Despite the heart ache we experienced as a family during all of my eye surgeries and my mother’s breast cancer we still had time to play and embrace each season and what it had to offer us. At the end of each day we were required to check off tasks on our job chart. Under each family members names there was a list and the last item on each person’s list was, “positive attitude” It was a quick self check of the day and what type of attitude we had. Seeing that line item empty at the end of the week was worse than forgetting to practice playing the flute or dusting our rooms because my parents held us accountable for our attitudes each and every day no matter what had happened that particular day. Even as my mom became increasingly ill, she held firm to the idea of positivity and spoke about it until the day she died. This prepared us for living without her and now at 28 I have lived exactly half my life without my beloved mother.

Like the harsh Midwest spring storms, transition can be a  rocky time. Graduating high school and from undergrad were specifically difficult periods for me. I find that transitional periods are the points in which I miss my mom the most, hope that she is proud of what I am doing and stretch my arms and head towards the heavens asking for her approval. My father always reassures me that she is proud of me and like the rushing streams of Spring I move on in my journey never to be in that same spot ever again.

Transition periods are harsh, even in nature. Being mindful during these times of change will bring clarity and assist you through the period of change. Right now as I am transitioning from student and intern I am thankful to have a buffer of my field office training before I fully cross into opening a practice. I have been experiencing a variety of emotions from nervousness to jubilation. Trying to feel each emotion as it occurs, cradle it for the moment in order to fully understand it and then let it go as the next feeling surfaces. this is a constant work in progress that requires patience and practice.

How to Handle Transition Periods

 The roller coaster of emotions and thoughts you are expressing during these times of change are just your body trying to reach an equilibrium or homeostatic balance. Chiropractic care during these transitional periods is the best way to achieve balance in your life. The nervous system is how you experience all aspects of your life so receiving specific chiropractic adjustments to balance your nervous system is critical. Keep a journal of your feelings, write, read and say positive affirmations each day and introduce movement into your life. These ideas, on top of regular chiropractic care, will allow for a smooth passage into the next step in your life. Maintaining a positive attitude, as much as possible, while still allowing yourself to express genuine emotions will also assist you. Before you go to bed tonight could you check off on your daily job chart that you practiced a positive attitude?