Turning the Page: How Embracing Change Opens Doors

Change is hard. It shakes us up, challenges our routines, and forces us to face what we don’t always want to: the unknown. It’s uncomfortable, messy, and often comes with emotions we’d rather avoid. But here’s the thing—change isn’t just about what you lose. It’s also about what you can gain.

What if the changes you’re facing now are actually creating space for something better? What if they’re opening doors to growth, opportunities, and experiences you couldn’t have imagined?

Why Change Feels So Overwhelming

Let’s face it—change can feel like the rug’s been pulled out from under you. It disrupts the familiar and introduces uncertainty. For many of us, that uncertainty triggers fear: What if I fail? What if I make the wrong choice? What if this never gets easier?

I’ve been there. I was doing really well as a Delivery Project Manager for my organization. I was 110% billable and consistently in demand. That was until my role became “redundant,” and I was let go along with several hundred others. It felt like losing control of everything I’d worked for. But as difficult as that moment was, it taught me something important: The only way through change is to focus on what you can control.

What You Can (and Can’t) Control

When life feels unpredictable, it’s easy to spiral into what-ifs. But worrying about things outside your control won’t help—it only adds to the overwhelm. What will help is focusing your energy on what’s within your power.

Here are a few ideas of what you can control:

• Your words: How you speak to yourself and others. Kindness starts here.
• Your thoughts: The stories you tell yourself about the situation. Make sure the stories you tell yourself aren’t limiting.
• Your actions: Even the smallest steps forward count.
• Your response: How you choose to process and navigate challenges. You can rail, or you can rally.
• How you treat others: Compassion goes a long way, even when you’re struggling. My late husband’s email signature was about sharing a smile with someone—it has a ripple effect.

And here’s what’s outside your control:

• The past: What’s done is done. The lessons are what matter now. This is where reflection comes into play, as we’ve talked about previously.
• Other people’s opinions: They’re out of your hands, no matter how much you wish otherwise.
• The future: It’s not guaranteed, but your choices today shape what’s possible.
• What others think of you: Everyone sees the world through their own lens. As I’ve gotten older, I care less about what other people think of me—I live my life according to my values, a result of the self-reflection we’ve discussed.

The more you focus on what you can control, the more grounded you’ll feel, even when everything else feels uncertain.

Finding Opportunity in the Unknown

Change often feels like an ending. And in some ways, it is. But endings clear space for beginnings. They create room for growth and transformation in ways we don’t always expect.

After eight years, when my job ended, it was a major life transition. At first, it felt like I’d lost everything familiar. But as I started to focus on what was within my control—small actions, my mindset, and leaning on trusted friends—I began to see possibilities I hadn’t noticed before. Even though my job ended, it opened doors for me to explore other opportunities, like starting a boutique consulting firm, which led to my traveling the world in a new role. Those moments of change became turning points, not roadblocks.

Embracing Change With Confidence

If you’re facing a big change, I have a few suggestions to help you embrace it:

• Start small: Big transitions don’t happen overnight. Focus on one step at a time.
• Reflect daily: Take five minutes to ask yourself: “What’s one thing I can do today to move forward?”
• Stay grounded: Journaling, mindfulness, or leaning on your support system can help you find stability.
• Celebrate progress: No step is too small to acknowledge. Progress is progress.
• Shift your mindset: Instead of asking, “Why is this happening to me?” try asking, “What can I learn from this?” Learning this skill has been invaluable through my life, but it’s not always easy to see or do.

Turning the Page

This past week on social media has all been about embracing change. Change isn’t easy. It’s messy, unpredictable, and often feels impossible to navigate. But it’s also a chance to grow, to discover strength you didn’t know you had, and to step into a new chapter with more clarity and confidence.

What’s one way change has opened a door for you? How have you learned to embrace the unknown and find opportunities in life’s transitions? Share your reflections in the comments, or take a moment today to journal about how change has shaped your journey.

Turning the page isn’t about forgetting the past. It’s about honoring what brought you here while giving yourself permission to discover what’s next.