Imagine you walk into a dark room from a brightly lit one. If you try to move around quickly, you’re likely to hurt yourself.
You might trip, ram into a bed or table, or walk into the wall by mistake.
However, give it a few seconds and you’ll soon start getting a sense of the space. Your eyes will adjust, you’ll begin moving slowly and with smaller steps, and you might even stretch your hands to make sure you aren’t about to crash.
A few seconds later, you’ll have enough confidence to pick up speed and the environment will look clearer as your eyes fully adjust to the darkness.
Change works much the same way. When a lot changes on us, sudden or hurried movements can cause a lot of pain.
But if we give ourselves the time to let the change sink in, start taking small steps, and give ourselves the chance to adjust to the surroundings, we’ll be able to get moving again.
We have an incredible capacity to deal with change. We just have to work through the process and be kind to ourselves while we’re at it.
