Lessons to live by

“I am making everything new.”

— Revelation 21:5 (NIV)

When life throws us a curve, it’s good to apply some wisdom so we can move forward to be our best.

I’d like to share some highlights from some of my past inspirations that were life changing for some of my readers.

One was to never be afraid to ask for help. Sometimes people are afraid to ask for help because they feel they may be a burden to someone else. It’s sad to think that someone’s needs go unmet for this reason. When Moses was weak and tired he asked two of his closest companions to help hold his hands up, so they could win the battle. Together they won. Asking for help benefits us and the helper, because God blesses us when we help one another.

“Plan B is the better plan A” was another impactful Inspiration. What can you do when plan A fails? You can move on to plan B. How many plan A’s have I experienced in my life that have failed and led me to a better plan? I once had a job that didn’t work out. The hours weren't a good fit and I couldn't get the hang of it. Leaving made me feel like a quitter, but the new one I discovered worked out much better.

At it, I learned a lot of new things and advanced in my career. That wouldn’t have happened had I given up, or tried to make my old job fit. Trust in God’s plan, even when you don’t understand it. God is using his plan to construct our lives for good. His plan is not the secondary fallback plan, but the primary one.

Another helpful inspiration was, how our losses lead us to a new life. Whenever change comes, we adjust by developing a new routine. When putting back together the pieces of our lives, we must understand that the new routine is a day-to-day process. Oftentimes, we think our adjustment should be quick and easy; most times it’s anything but that.

Start with simple things. Go through the motions when your emotions don’t support you. Continue to take care of yourself. Keep a daily routine for meals, showering and cleaning up your environment. Get some rest. But also balance it with some activity. Take a short walk or exercise; it helps fight depression. Talk to a friend. Having someone to talk to that understands can help you emotionally process what you are going through.

And it's also helpful to try something new. Start going to church, try a community club, volunteer to help someone else and make some new friends. A new routine means a change in lifestyle, but as we adjust and grow, we become richer for the experience.

Using these tips can help us move forward to a new way of living and bring us to a new place of health and prosperity!

• Annettee Budzban is a Christian author, speaker, life coach and nurse. She can be contacted at annetteebudzban@aol.com.