6 SURPRISING AND HELPFUL LESSONS TO LEARN FROM LOSS

Loss is out there.  We’ve all experienced it.   No one is immune to this natural part of life.

Losing a job, relationship, home, or a pet can all trigger feelings of loss. You can even feel loss as part of a happy event, such as getting married or moving to a new city since it may produce a sense that you are leaving something behind.

As you go through the process, loss can produce a variety of unwanted or unexpected emotions and consequences.  But no matter what type of loss you are dealing with, there are some surprising benefits that can come from the experience.

Here are 6 helpful lessons to learn from loss:

1)  Clarity about what is really important to you

When you lose something, it puts that item into focus.   You tend to think about all the positive aspects of that person, situation, or thing that you lost.   When that person or thing is no longer available to you, it can help you get clearer on what you really value and want to ensure you don’t lose again.  You might also get clear on what you’ll be willing to do keep what’s important to you in the future.

2)  Conviction that you will show more love in the future

Sometimes it takes losing something or someone to realize how much you loved what you had.   One of the best outcomes from a loss can be when you strengthen your determination to show more love going forward to people and things you care about and not take them for granted.

3)  More comfort with change and ambiguity

When you are dealing with a loss, you often feel less control and less certainty.  Suddenly, things don’t seem as predictable and reliable.  At first, this can be unsettling.  But over time, the act of losing something can help you be more comfortable in changing or ambiguous circumstances because you now have more experience with these types of situations.

4)  More resourcefulness to meet your needs in new ways

Going through a loss forces you to rely on something else to meet the needs that your lost item or person used to meet.  You may find that you rely on yourself more, learn new skills, or reach out to others more for help.   This process can help build your resourcefulness for future situations, as well as more confidence in your own abilities.

5)  How to better manage expectations and plan ahead

In some situations, loss can put into sharp focus what you didn’t do to prevent a loss.  As painful as that can be, it can be a powerful motivator to take proactive steps to plan more and consider contingencies.  It can also prompt you to manage your expectations differently about a person or thing so that you have fewer disappointments going forward.   That doesn’t mean that you stop loving or relying on people or things, but that you keep their role in your life in perspective.

6)  More compassion for others experiencing loss

One of the most powerful potential benefits from going through a loss can be that you now understand more about what others feel.  It becomes easier to relate to and feel compassion for people in certain situations when you have firsthand knowledge of the emotions of loss.  Even if your specific circumstances aren’t exactly the same, you can better appreciate the ups and downs of loss and perhaps be a better resource to people in times of need.

DIVE DEEPER:  Gain more perspective and clarity during a time of loss in your life here so you can feel better and move forward.