"The bad news is nothing lasts forever.
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The first thing you must do is give yourself time to process the unexpected information. Take a few deep breaths and wipe everything from your mind as you calm yourself, preventing you from doing something drastic which could have a negative effect. It’s important to remember there’s no “right” or “wrong” way to respond.![](/images/eileenadler/June%2010%2C%202024%20-%202.png)
Do not jump to conclusions. Get accurate information by going directly to the source, rather than from someone else’s interpretation.
Determine what your responsibilities will be and ask for help. By enlisting the support of friends, relatives, co-workers, and others, you’ll minimize distractions as you attend to the task at hand.
Bad things are bound to hit us now and then, and it might only be a matter of time before they hit us again. People make mistakes. Bad things happen. There’s no way to predict success or failure. What you can do, however, is to strive to be thorough, diligent, honest, and reliable. Say what you mean and do what you say by setting boundaries you can live with.
Horton Hatches the Egg is a children's book written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss and published in 1940. The story explains that Horton the elephant was tricked but he responds by saying "I meant what I said, and I said what I meant. an elephant's faithful, one hundred percent!" (I have my 1940 edition – one of my favorite childhood books!)
Holding on to some sense of normalcy, a routine, minimizes stress and anxiety.
Countering your “what if’s…?” Accept the uncertainty. Worrying about all the things that could go wrong won’t make your life any more predictable. It will only keep you from enjoying the good things you are still able to experience in the present.