Life has mysterious ways to make us grow and develop. We all go through trials in life one way or another. Never judge your neighbor, he may be learning a lesson as difficult as yours. I don't think there is a single person who says the journey has been easy. There may be many people who will say that it has been satisfactory journey or the opposite. Regardless of their own opinion, the key to all is to know how to enjoy it. Finally, meet your life purpose is only the last part of this path.

Much of our journey is based on plans aligned with a better future, in which we have committed time, material and emotional resources. Throughout the journey it will be normal for difficulties to come out on top. Situations or barriers will arise with the ability to interrupt or slow down the achievement of plans, and with them the risk of losing what has been invested. The consequences will be as dramatic as you allow them to be. Each one is in control of them.

The severity of the impact depends on one expectations. If you don't expect it, maybe because you're distracted, it can be very severe. On the contrary, if you already expect it, the severity will be less painful. Regardless, I will give you a list of steps to follow to cope after life has impacted you and that has demanded a change of plans.

1. Understand what the lesson was. Assume it, it happened, it is a reality. Live the normal grief of your loss. If you feel that the pain is very deep, look for your family, good friends or professional help, a psychologist or coach may help you.

2. Recover from within. Work and make sure you have healthy self-esteem. Your inner dialogue, self-worth and self-confidence are important to get back to your life. Find your own trust again. Working in these areas may need professional help such as a psychologist or coach. Reading or listening to books or personal development podcasts by authors such as John Maxwell, Tony Robbins, Ekhart Tolle, Jorge Bucay, or ours, among many others, can be very useful.

3. Work on your self-knowledge. The challenges of running out of a direction or plan lead us to question ourselves a lot. The truth is that not even the strongest storm is going to change your essence, your gifts and talents. Be sure again who you are and how you can serve others and start doing it, the sooner the better. Serving others is the most effective way anyone can rebuild quickly.

4. Accept your challenges and face them. They say that it is wise to know how to choose battles and that in some cases it is better to lose some, because peace is a higher good. And it is so. But then, it is also wise to know how to choose the battles that you must assume and give the fight for your territory. Those battles are against yourself, in which you are proving that you can overcome your fears and obstacles that life has put in place for you. These battles are in an area where you employ your gifts and talents, where you put your passion into competing and know that you give your very best. In these cases it is wise to go out and battle, that is your call. Do it.

5. Identify your new plan. If you already have advanced in the previous four points and you have gone through some good battles, your plan will be standing there for you, identify it and own it. Write it to gain clarity. Now the difference is that you are more self-aware, wiser person with the great power of knowing that even the most difficult obstacle in life is possible to overcome, such as the loss of a life plan.

You will need good spirits as you move through these five steps, because without a doubt that being left without the illusion of a life plan can make you sad. So, to maintain a good mood, apply as much as possible the 13 tips of the Harvard Happiness Lecture:

1. Exercise every day, ideally more than 300 minutes a week.

2. Have breakfast every day.

3. Be grateful. It is the principle of abundance.

4. Be assertive. Good communication initiates a good relationship.

5. Spend your money on experiences.

6. Face your challenges.

7. Paste beautiful memories, phrases and pictures of loved ones everywhere.

8. Be kind.

9. Wear comfortable shoes.

10. Take care of your posture.

11. Listen to music, sing and dance.

12. Take care of your diet but eat everything.

13. Feel attractive.

And meditate, talk to yourself, let go of control and never stop moving forward. I wish you the very best!