Here is your Thursday STORY on: ADAPTING TO CHANGE: Some change is forced upon you. Without doubt this is the change you may fear most, and justifiably so. But there is an answer. The answer is trust. You must trust your ability to adapt. Allow yourself to wallow in sadness for a while, perhaps a few hours, a few days, or a few weeks depending on the circumstances. Then time itself will help you adapt to change. (Allow me to excuse one change. If you are faced with bereavement, then this is a change that few can expect. My advice would be to accept counselling from all; that means both the authorities and your family and friends. Cherish the happy memories and allow time to help heal the emptiness). Imagine your very first love, and I beg forgiveness for those who still live their first love, but at the moment the relationship ceases, you’d had thought that the world would end. Your friends and family would have given the appropriate support. For every 5 plus factors in a relationship, there are normally one or two factors that you struggle with. Breaking up from your first love is a big learning process, not that you could see that at the time. Every subsequent relationship is built on a better fundamentals; and so therefore… should every other aspect of your life. Just a little trust and both small and big changes will not become so fearful. The next story confirms if any suspicion exists, that events happen for a reason. Adapting to change following such an event will be done from strength and not from fear and weakness. A DONKEY, A ROOSTER AND A LAMP Rabbi Moshe took a trip to a strange land. He took a donkey, a rooster, and a lamp. Since he was a Jew, he was refused hospitality in the village inns, so he decided to sleep in the woods. He lit his lamp to study the holy books before going to sleep, but a fierce wind came up, knocking over the lamp and breaking it. The rabbi decided to turn in, saying, "All that God does, he does well." During the night some wild animals came along and drove away the rooster and thieves stole the donkey. Moshe wake up, saw the loss, but still proclaimed easily, "All that God does, he does well." The rabbi then went back to the village where he was refused lodging, only to learn that enemy soldiers had invaded it during the night and killed all the inhabitants. He also learned that these soldiers had travelled through the same part of the woods where he lay asleep. Had his lamp not been broken he would have been discovered. Had not the rooster been chased, it would have crowed, giving him away. Had not the donkey been stolen, it would have brayed. So once more Rabbi Moshe declared, "All that God does, he does well!" (Author Unknown) QUOTE: “Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strength. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is your strength.” (Arnold Schwartzenegger, Actor)