Welcome Back, Free Ranger. We hope life is treating you sweetly. For our fifth episode, we want to explore change and how it affects us. Free Rangers have weathered many situations like changing jobs, losing loved ones, failing health and missed opportunities. Bad days can be rough, but we know that they will eventually turn around and the sun will break through the clouds. 

What about those people who seem to handle the twists and turns of life better than others and radiate joy even when life is serving them lemons? Molly McGinn is one of those people. She’s a musician here in Greensboro, NC who always seems to land on her feet with so much gratitude and love in her heart. What’s her secret? We have to know, that’s why we asked her to join us for this episode. During this episode Molly shares how she approaches life’s challenges, keeps her spirits up, and inner joy intact.  

Change in life is inevitable. During our time Earth-side, change is one of the few constants. After decades of change, you learn that bad days never last, even good change can cause us stress and no one gets through life alone. You may find that younger people around you are looking to you to be the role model to watch when big changes happen. For instance, I work in academia, where change and upheaval are constant. When new initiatives or challenges arise, it can create stress for everyone around you. How can you be “the role model” for handing change when you are also experiencing the upheaval? Here are some suggestions:

• Acknowledge immediately that change is happening. Fighting change means that you are not dealing with the change. Process why it’s happening then find ways to embrace it. 
• Try to keep up your regular schedule as much as you can. Daily activities like walking the dog, working out, and household chores could be the anchor that you need during these trying times. 
• Take care of yourself. Exercise and eat a healthy diet as much as you can. Don’t lose yourself in this stressful process.
• Get the support you need. If you need to talk to someone, do it. 
• Find ways to focus on the positive from this change. Change gives us the opportunity to grow. How are you growing from this situation?
• Vent to a point. Talking about it helps us offload what is happening and process the change. Venting is not a destination, but a journey. Evolve your venting into brainstorming to make things better. 
• Take a social media break. Social media makes us constantly compare our lives with others. Everyone’s lives are different. Just because someone is not posting about change and stress does not mean that they are not facing it. 
• Find reasons and ways to laugh. It decreases your cortisol, a stress-producing hormone.

Our flock needs joy more than ever. We are living in difficult times. Don’t let life’s changes steal your joy. 

Thank you for listening. 

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