A wise woman once said “if you’re not growing, you’re dying”, and I’ve been a great believer in that for a long time and have taken it to heart. But for many people, they spend their lives quietly dying because they’re afraid to take the next step.

In 1969, the Swiss psychologist Elizabeth Kubler-Ross wrote a book called On Death and Dying. It was a study of the psychological process we all go through in confronting death which was called the Grief Cycle.

It includes:

• Denial stage: Trying to avoid the inevitable.
• Anger stage: Frustrated outpouring of bottled-up emotion
• Bargaining stage: Seeking in vain for a way out.
• Depression stage: Final realization of the inevitable.
• Acceptance stage: Finally finding the way forward.

She said

it is not the end of the physical body that should sorry us. Rather, our concern must be to live while we’re alive – to release our inner selves from the spiritual death that comes with living behind a facade designed to conform to external definitions of who and what we are.

But take for example the current economic crisis which is hitting people very hard. When we are faced with downsizing or loss of jobs, it’s almost like a mini-death isn’t it?

• Shock stage: Initial paralysis at hearing the bad news.
• Denial stage: Trying to avoid the inevitable.
• Anger stage: Frustrated outpouring of bottled-up emotion
• Bargaining stage: Seeking in vain for a way out.
• Depression stage: Final realization of the inevitable.
• Testing stage: Seeking realistic solutions.
• Acceptance stage: Finally finding the way forward.

If this is your challenge right now, what stage are you in? What would you like to do to move on?

Challenges in life are not meant to stop us. They are walls of opportunity awaiting a decision. Go over, under, around or just stay stuck. What is your choice?

Make a pledge today to yourself that you will discover what’s on the other side.

If you need some help with growing your business or your life then connect with me directly.