HELP FOR THE FAMILY/YOUNG PEOPLE/HOW TO DEAL WITH CHANGE

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Accept reality. No doubt you would like to have total control of your life, but that is simply not possible.  Friends will move away or marry; siblings  will grow up and leave home; circumstances may force your family to move, leaving behind friends and all that is familiar.  It is better to accept reality than to let negative thoughts overwhelm you. -Bible principle:  Ecclesiastes 7:10. 

Look ahead.  Focusing on the past is like driving on a highway with your eyes fixed on the rear view mirror. An occasional glance is beneficial, but you really need to concentrate on the road ahead.  The same is true when you are confronted with change. Try to keep your eyes fixed on the future.  (Proverbs 4:25) For example, what goal could you set for the next month, or six months? 

Note:  I am sorry, not to scare anyone, but we are not guaranteed another day on this earth, much less six months.   I don't know why they would put that in the magazine.   To me that is giving false hope. 

Focus on the positive.  "Resilience is about attitude," says a young woman named Laura.  "Find positive aspects of the circumstance you are in."  Can you list at least one advantage that your new circumstance offers? -Bible principle:  Ecclesiastes 6:9. 

A woman named Victoria recalls that in her teen years, all her close friends moved away.  "I felt so lonely, and I wished that everything could have stayed the way it was," she says.  "But looking back, that's when I really started to grow. I came to realize that growth requires change.  That's also when I  started seeing possibilities for new friendships that were all around me." -Bible principle:  Proverbs 27:10. 

 Do things for others. The Bible says: "Look out not only for your own interests, but also for the interests of others."  (Philippians 2:4)  A good antidote to your own challenge is helping others with theirs. Anna, 17, says:  "As I grew older, I came to realize that when I could help someone else who might be going through a similar situation-or a worse one-it was rewarding!" 

Next time: THE BIBLE'S VIEWPOINT/PHYSICAL BEAUTY

From the Awake! magazine