I just posted “How Do You Respond to Change?” at the other blog I write.

Change is hard.

Sometimes it’s hard because we don’t have any choice about it; the changes are completely out of our control. In that case, we may feel entitled to the emotions and thoughts I describe in that post: we have a right to be angry, sad… a right to wish for a return to our preferred state.

Sometimes change is hard even when we choose it.

I am in the middle of making a lot of professional changes in my life. I will outline the details in a future post. But know this: These are changes that I have chosen.

They are on my own terms, toward a new and exciting future, but not entirely without regret.

All week, I have been running on overdrive, fueled by the energy and enthusiasm I have for my new work. This morning, though, I woke up mid-dream with a sense of loss about the choices I have made. My subconscious is able to firmly grasp that which is elusive to me during my waking hours: This change I’ve chosen, though I am embracing it with unflinching joy, is still difficult.

There are lessons here for me as I seek to encourage others who are experiencing changes in their lives.

I am inspired to listen with patience. I want to use my experiences to help me remember that emotions are often unpredictable and shifting.

I want to tell my friends in transition — as I tell myself — to take time to grieve the losses, celebrate the joys, and to take each moment as it comes.

Tell me something! What changes or transitions are you experiencing? What has been most helpful to you during times of change? What can you do to make a positive difference in the life of someone who is the midst of change?