Life Transitions. Practical Common Sense Wisdom

We Plan, God Laughs, by Sherre Hirsch 2008

I am a self-professed book addict. Thank goodness now for BookSwim, so I do not have to actually put books up for adoption when I finish them...I can now just mail them back and trade them like a movie choice.

We Plan, God Laughs was a book I wanted to keep in my reference library, so I can read it again in a year or so. Here is an adapted book review, or you can read the whole review on our website @ http://www.launchingnewlives.com/articles.

Rabbi Hirsch combines Jewish custom and theology with practical, common- sense wisdom, and humorous personal experience. As one of very few female Rabbis in our country, she juggles being a Mom with young children, a new career as an author, and being a wife, so transitions and life balance challenges are very familiar to her.

She quickly explains that God is not laughing at us, but with us, in delight and joy. (That was quite a relief!) She believes God is a personal God, and we can access this higher power at all times. She invites us to use that connection as we work through adversity and seek our divine purpose that is unique and that only we can fill as part of a divine tapestry. Your divine purpose "theme" may remain constant, but she says to expect variations and shifts over our lifetime as we reinterpret and refine that mission.

Rabbi Hirsch has a gift for communication, and her role as a Rabbi was very fulfilling for the first eight years of her career. Then, she realized it no longer was her path; rather than leave her chosen “field” she realized that communication takes many forms, and that she was limiting herself to the pulpit. By re-interpreting her gift, she now shares her wisdom in a larger venue as a writer, and as a spiritual life consultant, on radio and television.

We Plan offers a fresh, encouraging perspective on authenticity, trusting yourself, forgiveness, taking action, and the human need for community.

“...we were born with divine sparks, and our task is to bring them to the world…these sparks have been with us all along. …pause and listen to what God has been telling us all our lives…we can fan our sparks into a flame.”

If you would like your own copy, you may use our Amazon link: We Plan, God Laughs.

Acceptance Empowers. How Not To Fear Change

Acceptance Empowers. How Not To Fear Change

Acceptance can be the first step in recovering from a loss, and often is the hardest.

Have you ever felt like a victim, or that life is treating you unfairly? It is easy to, when we are conditioned to expect the best life has to offer. Before we even realize it, we resist change rather than accepting that cycles of change are a normal part of our lives. Often in hindsight, that unwanted change (anything we did not choose, plan, or control)brings an opportunity. And we will miss that opportunity if we expend all our energy in avoiding the change that is to come with or without our acceptance!

Our primitive emotional response is to view change as a threat. And denial is also a deeply programmed response that protects us when we face trauma or shock. But there are times when it does not serve us well at all. When we use denial to avoid facing a painful truth, we can harm ourselves or others. When denial becomes a pattern of coping, you may be left exposed and unprepared.

Amazingly, change occurs despite our ability to accept it. Wouldn't the energy spent masking truth be better channeled to deal with the circumstances you are facing?

Acceptance is not "giving up"; it is seeing things as they are, not as we wish they were or hope they will become. Sometimes the very act of recognizing a problem opens the way for you to create a different outcome! Your energy can be re-directed towards creating a solution, plan, or an alternative to the one you most fear.

• Fear fuels denial; trust allows acceptance.


• Trusting that you will be able handle whatever comes is a powerful piece of acceptance.


• Acceptance allows you to take some form of action, and


• Action is in itself therapeutic, empowering, and moves you forward, away from feeling like a powerless victim.

Even when you are tempted by denial, your body and subconscious mind are never fooled. Problems with appetite, sleep, relationships or stress may be clues you are avoiding the truth about something in your life. Denial never made real problems or unwanted changes disappear, but delayed action can have a tremendous impact on the outcome of that change. Health issues are one example.

Acceptance is empowering; denial gives your power away to whomever or whatever you are holding on to. For me, that is a great motivator for leting go! Acceptance moves your forward, denial holds you back. Do you choose to be a victim of your past, or a creator of your future? The change you fear may ultimately reveal a “silver lining”!

Dealing With Grief. 7 Stages Of Grief

A Closer Look At The 7 Stages Of Grief

Unfortunately, many unplanned life transitions are not only unplanned, but emotionally traumatic, and resulting in secondary losses over a period of time. These secondary losses compound the grief, and may have similar financial consequences to the original event.

Losing your health, job, or marriage (through divorce or a death) can result in a prolonged period of grief, and at those times you do not have to try to go it alone. It is indeed wise to get help in order to most successfully move through the transition process, and rebuild and renew your life.

While grieving, you can be vulnerable to making unwise decisions with costly consequences; there is no reason to try to risk your assets and emotional well being when the Springboard Group is devoted entirely to helping people through difficult life transitions such as yours.

According to most experts, successfully coping with this type of loss involves going through seven different stages of grief. (Source: Recover-From-Grief.com, 2008)

These stages of grief include…

Shock and Denial: Characterized by the feeling of a numb disbelief or denial that the loss has even occurred; it is possible for this stage to last several weeks

Pain and Guilt: May be characterized by feeling as if you didn't do enough to prevent the loss; a very painful, yet necessary, stage

Anger and Bargaining: May involve lashing out at others in anger or trying to make deals to change the outcome, such as "I will go to church every day if you bring him back"
Depression and Reflection: Characterized by feelings of sadness and reflecting on the things you used to do with the person that was lost or the job that was lost
The Turning Point: Characterized by starting to calm down and get more organized

Problem Solving: Characterized by seeking out realistic solutions to the problems you are facing due to the loss

Acceptance: Characterized by accepting the loss, though that does not necessarily equate to happiness

Going through these stages of grief can be a long and painful process. In addition, it is important to note that everyone moves through this grieving process at his or her own pace. Therefore, you should never compare yourself to others who are in the grieving process.

Springboard's™ programs and services are designed for you, regardless of where you are in life's journey. We invite you to explore and share our resources with employers, groups, organizations, professionals or anyone supporting others through a transition. Visit us today at http://www.launchingnewlives.com/

Career Planning Transitions

Take An Easier Path Toward Career Planning

When it comes to career planning, especially during midlife, the multiple options can be quite overwhelming. After all, the decisions you make regarding your career choices can affect every other aspect of your life: income, family, where you may eventually live, and retirement plans.

If there will be an investment in additional education and training, you may need guidance from a financial planner. Taking plans from a dream to a reality may be more successful with the support of career planning from a coach or counselor. How can you make sure your plan leaves little room for unanticipated surprises?

Not only will you need to make changes in order to achieve your career goals, your life will also be affected by the career you choose to pursue. If you are feeling a bit frightened or apprehensive about tackling a life plan by yourself, you can relax - because you have just found your life transition experts with The Springboard Group!

At The Springboard Group, we specialize in helping people with all of their life transitions – and career planning is also often a component of other life transitions such as divorce or the loss of a spouse. We are able to help you create an effective life plan in a number of different ways. By doing so, you can select the method that is best suited to your individual learning style.

Our self-study and teleclasses are among the many options you may choose to assist you in preparing for a career change. Many people enjoy this approach because it provides affordable, convenient access to the expertise of professionals actively practicing in their fields of specialization.

Some of these benefits include…

* The flexibility to download MP3 recorded classes, when most convenient for you
* The ability to learn at your own pace with our self study modules
* The opportunity to participate in discussions with others who are actively engaged in creating or renewing their own life plan

Springboard's™ programs and services are designed for you, regardless of where you are in life's journey. We invite you to explore and share our resources with employers, groups, organizations, professionals or anyone supporting others through a transition. Visit us today at http://www.launchingnewlives.com/

Remembering Valentine's Day

I was buying Valentine's cards yesterday, and was reminded of how difficult those first few were for me after my divorce, and then the death of my husband soon after. We celebrate love on Valentine's Day, and typically it is romantic love. We all know someone who has lost a loved one this year, either through a relationship ending, a death or divorce. There is a hole in their heart that you can help fill. Just because you cannot replace the missing piece, does not mean you should not reach out with care and love. A card, box of chocolate, flowers, phone call or even an extra hug can make that person feel connected to a holiday that can tend to make them feel very alone. Unlike Christmas and Thanksgiving, where we "know" to remember our friends and family, Valentine's Day and wedding anniversaries may be especially difficult for people. Share some love this Valentine's Day, not just with those closest to you but with those who may need it even more.

Happy Valentine's Day! Janice