I remember when I first got my “invitation” to join AARP. I was turning 50. WHAT? Isn’t that what you do when you’re approaching 65-ish? Obviously not. What made it even worse was the fact that I was a year older than my “then” spouse and boy did he rub it in.
Fast forward to now, I am a member of AARP and the newer fact that I actually enjoy reading some of the articles they write in their newsletter. OK, so not all the articles pertain to me – I don’t need a “walk-in” tub or a pendant to wear for medical alerts or falls or a wheel chair and walker. However, every once in a while they have something that I can really relate to, thus today’s “share”.
These helpful hints can actually be applied to multiple maladies, but they rang very true to me in “Divorce Recovery” and I’d like to share them with you for your quest of survival from whatever brings you unhappiness. The title of the section is: “Bouncing Back, Better“.
1) Don’t rush it. Take time after a shock, says Susan Bridges, president of William Bridges and Associates, which provides transition coaching. “We see it as a three-phase process; starting with acknowledging what has ended.”
2) Consult others. Richard Leider of AARP’s Life Reimagined suggests assembling a sounding board of friends as advisors. “You want a committed listener, who can just hear what you have to say without trying to fix anything,” he says. “Then you want a catalyst, who offers inspiration through his or her own story. And then you want a wise elder, who helps you keep your eye on the big picture.”
3) Think positive. “Whether people can access positive emotions in dire circumstances is typically a matter of what kind of sense they make of the event,” says psychologist Barbara Fredrickson. “The reaction to a natural disaster could be “I lost everything,” or it could be “I’m still breathing.”
4) Recognize your own strengths. “People say that they now experience themselves as a different person,” says psychologist Lawrence Calhoun. “They see themselves as more vulnerable than they thought but stronger than they ever imagined.”
I’ll give you some time to ponder these thoughts, and when next we “connect”, I’ll share some of my thoughts on these suggestions, and the ways I’ve tried to “Bounce Back”.
suddenlysinglewomen 
Very good sound advice. Thanks for sharing.