Get through crossroads

Crossroads typically occur during middle age and can happen as a result of significant changes in your life e.g. after divorce or separation, perhaps after the death of someone close, children not being as dependent, retiring, leaving work... and is typically marked by feelings of "What Do I Do Now???"

Sometimes crossroads sneak up on us... we get an inkling that we are not happy as we know we can be, we're not enjoying the things we used to, we haven't got the same enthusiasm for many of the things we have to do, we experience feelings of regular unhappiness, emptiness, and feeling unfulfilled.

Even though crossroads in our life can be uncomfortable and daunting... they provide an incredible opportunity to take stock of our life, and do things that we truly want to do and achieve in our life.

Many times, however, we don't know what we want to change or how to initiate the change.

Here are 5 suggestions to help get through this:

• take time out for yourself : it's important to look after yourself in terms of nutrition and enough sleep. Crossroads can be stressful, and the more you can take care of yourself the easier this period of your life will be to handle

• reflect on what you are doing in your life now : look at those things you are doing that you would like to change, and look at those things that have changed because of a different set of circumstances for example, divorce or separation, illness in the family, a death, change in your work, or children no longer dependent

• think about what you have always wanted to do but never had the opportunity to do: you now have an opportunity to do those things you have wanted to do

• begin to do things you would like to do, for example, take up a sports such as golf, go to classes to learn something you've always wanted to know about

• find someone, such as a counselor, who can help you through this period. You may benefit from talking with someone about what you are going through, how you are feeling and what you want to do.

I've had several crossroads in my life... times when I've felt a strong desire to change aspects of my life. About 10 years ago I changed careers... I changed from counseling to designing and printing stationery! Quite a change! I returned to counseling 5 years later due to another major change in my life brought about by a serious illness.

But crossroads don't just occur in your career... they can happen in your personal life, family life, where you live!

The secret is: embrace crossroads as an amazing opportunity for change... an opportunity for you to decide what is most fulfilling for you!