Not at Low Tide

I once had a mentor tell me never to make life altering decisions at low tide. When you are low, in a bad place, had a bad day, or only feel darkness around you that is NOT the time to change your life. Those may be the moments that give you the reason or final decision point, but they are not the moments to make that decision. When we are not ourselves and we may not be thinking clearly. We are usually letting our emotions rule, not our clear thought processes. We all too often regret what we have done once the daylight arrives or the smoke clears.

Bad times and dark nights teach us who we are and what we believe. They remind us of what is truly important and what we are willing to fight to protect. They wound our pride and make us doubt ourselves and our abilities; they are not the times to make instant decisions that impact our world. The darkness makes us grateful for the light and all the life it brings.

I mention all this as a friend is very much experiencing low tide. She is attending her third family funeral in a year. Who she is has greatly changed from who she was a few short months ago. What was important then does not feel so important now. She has realigned her thought processes to support her current self. She sees things and values things differently. She is making life decisions now, after the dark days are over, and making those choices clearly and with a hopeful look towards the future.

One day you too will only see darkness, and want to make hasty decisions. Give yourself some room to mourn, or ponder, or think before you make a drastic change. Change is good, just not at low tide.