I remember the first time I flew Kulula, as we landed the air hostess welcomed us to our destination and cautioned us to be careful opening the overhead lockers because, she paused, “Remember ...shift happens!” And oh my word, she has a point! Life really is full of shift, sometimes good, sometimes  bad, but shift there is.

These days, not just clients, but many friends and family members are facing tremendous changes in their lives. For some it's wonderful news, a new career, relationship or addition to the family, for others it's retrenchment, ill health or the loss of a loved one. No matter what kind of shift we are dealing with, it often requires some kind of adjustment from us, either externally or internally.

We all have different ways of coping with the challenges we face but an attitude we don't often cultivate, is that of forbearance, having the patience to simply endure our suffering. We usually approach life from the point of view of what can I do about this? How can I get more of what I want and less of what I don't want? Generally speaking this works pretty well, but every now and then we face something than cannot be fixed or changed. If we haven't practised tolerating what is uncomfortable with the smaller things, it is incredibly difficult to do it when the biggies hit.

As human beings we have the most extraordinary capacity to cope with and adapt to incredible difficulties. Tolerance and restraint, like any new habits, take time and effort to cultivate. As most of us know, resisting our urges is hard enough, and at times when we are provoked, it is almost impossible. But those occasions when we do manage it, the rewards can be great. So give it a try, hold your tongue and stay silent when you want to snap at someone or gossip about them. Refrain from eating or drinking what you know is harmful, endure the discomfort and just get that task you've been avoiding done.

You won't always get it right, but when you do notice and appreciate your success. Goods and bads are often quite mixed up and what starts out seeming awful, can sometimes turn into a real blessing. So give yourself chance a to change, have the courage to  show up for all of your life and when things are up in the air, remember... shift happens!