Unfortunately, life has a habit of throwing curveballs every now and again. One minute you are going along nicely, the next, everything’s thrown up into the air, and nothing is certain anymore. It doesn’t matter who you are or how secure you think your life is, unexpected incidents can happen anywhere without warning. When this happens, you have choices on how you behave next. If you are unwise, you will act impulsively, panicked, and possibly make things a lot worse. But if you are wise and carefully consider your action before doing anything, you can actually turn a negative into a positive. It’s all about attitude, being realistic, and being, at least up to a certain point, prepared.
Your Financial Situation
One of the best ways to manage when unexpected incidents occur is to ensure that your finances are in order. Having huge debts which you are struggling to pay now and may be causing you to fall deeper into debt, is something that needs to be sorted asap. If something does happen, a secure financial situation will buy you time. If you lose your job, or you lose a partner who was the main breadwinner, if you have created an emergency fund, you will fare much better. It means you can manage during the initial shock phase and then work towards a goal. If you are struggling with best, it may be time to discuss your financial situation with a professional financial planner. They will take a holistic look at your financial life and help you create a manageable path to resolve the issue. If you can manage, you can begin to save. A better financial situation may mean many things like moving to somewhere with cheaper rent, getting rid of that expensive car, shipping in budget supermarkets, etc. It is not wise to try and maintain an expensive lifestyle when you know you can’t afford it and all it does is cause you copious amounts of stress. You need to be realistic and live within your means. If you can do this, you will find life a lot easier to manage.
Acceptance
A lot of difficulties that arise as a result of something unexpected occurring is the inability to accept what has happened. Being in denial and fighting against the facts is not going to get you anyway. Acceptance, however, is not something that needs to happen after the even. Acceptance can be a mode or philosophy of thought. Things happen in this world. Nothing at all is set in stone. No one is untouchable. So, if you think nothing can or will ever happen t you, you are more likely to suffer more after an unexpected event than someone who has a more fatalistic philosophy of life. Sometimes there are a lot of measures you can put into place after an event to mitigate it and create favorable outcomes for yourself. But you need to be thinking logically to be able to do this. That means accepting your fate, and dealing with it as quickly as you possibly can. You have to play with the cards you have been given.
Time to Use your Backup Plan
It is always a wise thing to create some sort of contingency plan. This is clearly dependent on who you are and the situation you are in. Well, off people may well have a secondary home they could move into if they lose their main house. Other people may have to rely on friends and family. If you lose your job, having a lot of savings is a great way to get through the storm while you look for another job. Maybe looking at your resume every few months just to ensure that it is fit for purpose, so you can hit the ground running. Making investments is also a great way to go. Whether it be property or the stock market, you may have something to fall back on. Some people have a side hustle which may be able to be expanded too. There are many forms of backup plans. So, just do what is right for you, and be prepared to use it if the time ever comes.
The Things you Can Control
Once something big and life-changing has occurred, it is very easy to dwell on the things you have lost and how much you will miss this and that. However, if you want to mitigate the damage, you need to focus on the things that are within your control. After the initial shock has subsided a little, you need to start thinking constructively. If oy have any funds saved, this is clearly the time to use it. It is called a rainy day fund for a reason. Sit back and think logically about the entire situation. Try and take the emotion out of it, as acting emotionally generally gets you nowhere. So, think clearly and make a list of all the things that are within your control. Perhaps there is scope for you to use insurance claim attorneys. You may well be entitled to a payout. The one thing you can definitely control is how you behave, so always look inwardly first and move forward from there.
Your New Life
There is always going to be light at the end of the tunnel. No, your life is not going to be the same as it was before, but that does not mean it cannot be a fulfilling and great life. You may even create long-lasting friendships as a result of the unexpected event. This may be particularly true if you have suffered an illness or loss of a loved one. Finding people who understand how you feel may be a great way to move on. You should try and use the event to enrich your life. You could even turn it into some form of artistic expression, in the sense of writing a book or creating some artwork. How you move forward is up to you, but you are still alive, and life is what you make it.
I live in a small Georgia town that you most likely have never heard of and I LOVE it! My house is more than full as I am a single mother of four & caregiver to my aging mother and uncle. Lover of all things Outlander. Goes to the beat of her own drum woman.