THAT BAD NEWS HIT DIFFERENT WHEN YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO NEXT: HOW TO HANDLE BAD NEWS

“Don’t nobody bring me no bad news.”

– Diana Ross, The Wiz

 

I wish I could hire someone to sing that song every time some bad news decides to swing my way.

 

I know. It’s a part of life.

Good and bad. Highs and lows. Comings and goings.

Loss. Disappointment. Heartbreak. Failure…

But, there comes a time in just about everyone’s life, when it seems like one more piece of bad news is going to end it all. Well, at least it seems that way if you’re a drama queen, like me (shout out to all the drama queens.)

Bad news is bad, but it’s just news.

Once you step out of your dramatic scene you will see that it doesn’t have to end it all, you can control how it lands in your space, and you can make what was once just bad news the best scene in the story of your life (keeping in line with that whole corny drama theme here, of course.)

Here are Some Things You Should Do When Bad News Comes Your Way:

1. Take a minute. When bad news comes, it often hits pretty hard. Allow yourself time to take it all in. If it hurts, be hurt. If it’s disappointing, be disappointed. If it’s the most devastating news of your life, allow yourself a moment of devastation. Acknowledge your true feelings so you can begin the process of healing them.

2. Own your part in it (if there is any.) This is a twist on self-care. Loving yourself requires a great deal of self-awareness and personal responsibility. Much of the bad news you will experience will be outside of your control. And then… there’s the bad news that comes as a consequence of ignoring your intuition, lowering your standards, and rocking with the wrong people. Assess the situation and own your part in it. Ownership gives you power- power to call the shots, moving forward.

3. Look for the lesson. That line is the biggest cliché ever. It’s also the biggest truth ever. There is almost always be some sort of lesson. Look for that sucker and hold on to it for dear life. Don’t go through the bad and walk away empty handed. You’ve earned that lesson and trust me, you’ll need it. The next time you feel rejected, you’ll see that it’s protection (or redirection.) The next time you see things (and people) falling away, you’ll recognize that it’s a change in season. You’ll start seeing your mistakes as opportunities to grow. You’ll learn that the lesson that came in the form of bad news actually came to make you better.

4. Make your next move. Being hit with bad news may cause you to pause, but it shouldn’t render you motionless. Stay in motion. Ask yourself: what’s next? What should I do next? Where should I go next? Who should I connect with next? What is the next right action? Take some time here and really listen for the answer. Once, you’re clear, make your move.

As long as you are living, breathing, moving, and aspiring, bad news will come- and when it does, you’ll handle it.