Job losses, layoffs, home foreclosures—in the current economy, many of us are struggling with major changes that can leave us feeling stressed, off-balance, and questioning our identities and life goals.
This month, a PriorityMe reader writes that she needs to “rediscover her potential” following a significant job/lifestyle change.  She explains that she and her husband were recently forced to close the company they created together. While her husband has jumped full-force into his new job search, spending up to 15 hours a day searching for work, she feels “lost” and like “a loser,” uncertain about what her future holds. She describes herself as “usually a very positive person,” but her current transition has clearly shaken her sense of identity, and she questions how to reclaim her purpose in life.

As a psychologist, I’ve spoken often with women of all ages—from college students to the newly retired—about similar feelings. My first piece of advice is always the same: Give yourself time. 
Major life transitions—whether a career change, college graduation, move across country, divorce, or a hundred other possibilities—always involve an element of loss. You’re leaving something behind: a job, a home, a circle of friends, an identity. Remember to give yourself time (and permission!) to mourn whatever it is you’re losing in this transition. It’s OK to be sad and uncertain. 
But then it’s time to consider new possibilities. As hard as it can be sometimes, try to think of your life transition—even the loss of a business, as in this case—as an opportunity for growth and adventure. What are your talents? What have you always wanted to try? What activities spark your passion, and could be turned into an exciting new hobby or even a full-fledged career? What parts of yourself have you neglected while busy with former jobs, friends, and obligations, but which you may now have time and space to focus on again? What do your wildest unspoken dreams say about how you’d like to live your life? What about your quietest, deepest inner voice?
No one can answer these questions for you. But the positive side of job loss is the rare chance to truly consider what could be different in your life. Start by looking inward to assess what you’re truly good at, what you enjoy, what you’d spend your time doing if you had the choice (OK, aside from, say, eating chocolate and taking bubble baths!).  The world is full of possibilities—yes, even in this economy—and you are full of potential for happiness and fulfillment. We all are. 
Be patient with yourself, focus on what makes you happy, and allow your mind to envision a new sense of identity—one that may be different from how you’ve defined yourself up until now. Then, when you’re ready, take the first step. Apply for the job. Cater the party. Plant the garden. Take the trip. Write the essay. Run the race. Design the website. Take the class. Edit your resumé. Network. And most importantly of all: have fun. You can do it.