How flexible are you?

I’m in my late thirties, and I can tell you that I’m less flexible now than when I was in my twenties. Simple yoga poses just hurt, not to mention it takes me awhile to get my heels down on the floor in downward dog. I know I need to be more intentional with stretching and finding time to do it, but it isn’t as much fun as going for a run or a hike (for me, anyway).

Now on to my next question for you: How flexible are you in your day-to-day life? I’m not talking about being flexible physically, but mentally—being flexible with your attitude, your plans, and your will, especially when things don’t go your way.

For those just entering military life, either as a spouse or significant other of a service member, it can be overwhelming. There are so many things we need to learn, sometimes quickly, and it’s shocking when the military tells us where we’re moving. We get comfortable in a location, but then we move on. We must find ways to adapt and overcome the obstacles.

But as I often say in my writing, remember that there is a “you” here, even when you have to quit your job and move to a new location to potentially start over. Again.

While it doesn’t get easier saying good bye and uprooting once every two or three years or fitting ourselves into military life, we can certainly get better at coping with it. One of the best ways is by empowering ourselves in this military life.

We hear the word “empowerment” a lot—almost as much as we hear “resilience”—and sometimes, the meaning gets lost in the repetitive use of these words. Although it has become a buzzword, because it’s important.