by
Michaela Rosales
|
January 8, 2021

From Hawaii to Rome!

For 4 months our family had a military assignment to Honolulu, Hawaii! Less than 2 weeks before we were supposed to leave and start our journey further west, we received a phone call that would change our trajectory. 


Luaus on the beach to gelato in the piazza…


I can honestly say these were the two best options we have ever had when it comes to a location on a military assignment but wow, what a difference!


 Despite the excitement and thrill of living on a Hawaiian island turn European country a lot of things had to fall into place behind the scenes.


Household goods were already on their way to Hawaii, passports needed to be renewed, cars shipped, visas obtained and the list went on and on. 


The point of this story though is not to complain about the chaos or boast about the location but instead share a positive perspective around life’s transitions. 


Where does your mind go when life takes a left turn instead of a right?

Life's transitions can turn your world into a tail spin, but it doesn't have to... get our absolutely free "Transition checklist" here


Do you panic? Do you REACT? Do you immediately see the negative?


Full transparency, my first thoughts turn to the negative but I wanted to share with you the ways I have been stopping those negative thoughts in their tracks and see through a more positive lens. 


Our lives are bigger than we are!


First and foremost I take a step back and stop treating everything like it’s an emergency. 


The truth is, in most situations you HAVE time to come up with a plan and move forward. 


When we found out that our assignment got changed my mind immediately went into overdrive with questions like “what do we take to Rome,” “Where will we live,” “what about the rest of our stuff?” “School?” “Where, when and how do we renew our passports?” “What if they don’t come in on time?” and the chaotic thoughts swirled around in my head like a tornado on the ocean.


Yes, those questions needed answers but there was TIME. Nobody had died, nobody was injured, we were healthy, we still had a roof over our heads and a paycheck coming in. 


We were NOT in crisis mode, we were in transition mode.




Second…Ask for help!  



When I realized I didn’t have to have ALL the answers within the first 5 minutes of learning about the change, I was able to start my research and thanks to the powerful internet and connections on social media I could ASK QUESTIONS!


Third… Fall back on past experiences


I fell back on the faith that one way or another it was all going to work out! If I looked back to different circumstances in my life that at the moment seemed like the end, I could reflect on the fact that we made it through. Even tragic events such as losing a loved one. It does not mean that the tragic event hurts less or that “I’m over it”, It just means that we made it through to the other side!


So friends, I highly suggest that when change presents itself instead of going into crisis mode, turn to confidence. 


Know that change can be scary and uncertain but I believe in you, support you and know that you can make it through!


Get our absolutely free “Transition Checklist” here!