From acceptance to forgiveness, divorce is a process of letting go. The next installment of this workshop focuses on a difficult but important step for recovery: surrendering to change. This means letting go of the pain, allowing life to move on and, ultimately, helping yourself heal. For some people it happens in the first year after divorce; for others it takes longer. Whether you fall into the first group or the second, the moment you allow change to happen, is the moment your life will start to become yours again.
Why Do We Resist?
It's human nature to find comfort in things that remain the same. This is true for jobs, friendships, marriages and so on. But why do we resist change? We resist out of the fear that if we let go of what we know, we will be faced with circumstances we can't handle. Our resistance is a natural protective mechanism, a shield that we unconsciously put up to guard ourselves against pain. But in the end, resistance doesn't protect us as much as it robs us of our right to heal, especially in the case of divorce.
Seeing Your Progress
When you're in the midst of change, life can be scary. You won't know exactly where your new life is headed. It's an uncomfortable position
My friend Gerhard compares the process of divorce to his sailing adventures. One day he set off to sail from the land he knew to a small, distant island. For a few hours, whenever he looked back, he was able to see the land he had left behind. But the further he sailed, the smaller his homeland became until it finally faded into the distant ocean. Now he could no longer see the place he had left behind, and the island he was traveling to was still out of sight. Feeling lost, he looked into the water for direction. When you look into the water, you know the boat is moving and you're making your way. The same thing holds true for your recovery. Just look back on how far you've come since the day you and your partner separated. You're making progress every day, whether you realize it or not.
