A guide to the process of adaptation Every year, people get new jobs, become new immigrants and enter

into the matrim ony, just to mention a few of life s major adaptations. But are they ready for the journey? It depends on their attitude, their personality and their perception. A person s ability to achieve satisfaction with adaptation to a new chapter in lif e is a function of a number of things, including flexible skills, strong system of beliefs, positive feelings about the transition and solid set of values. Everybody has their own expectationsand fears. It is a part of being a human, af ter all, to possess a collection of beliefs and feelings that isunique to each o f us. But it s tricky business, for one reason: Beliefs and feelings are not alway s accurate. Maybe one person walks around convinced that It s impossible to find a decent job or Nobody wants to hire me or My spouse is But these statements are just perceptions not absolute truths. What do we need to know about perceptions? Are they always true? Each person needs to understand the importance of perceptions, since success dep ends on them. What is a perception, anyway? A perception is a personal opinion about an event, good or bad. It is theproduct of a range of personal characteristics, including self- respect, self-acceptanc e and self-confidence, just to name a few. We, as individuals,colour an event wi th our perceptions about it. Usually, any process of adaptation comes with emotional pressure. It s important t o acknowledge that a stressed-out mental state may encourage an individual to mi srepresent fact, and to render perception of an event even more complicated than it is. Each person has own mental filter through which interprets the events with which comes into contact. We cannot help but regard those things around us through th at filter, positive or negative. A stressed-out person hasa stressed-out mental filter. Under such duress, he will naturally focus on any detail of an event tha t proves that things are, in fact, as he perceives them. Now you know why it is so important to have a positive approach to any life situ ation. Surviving any adaptation is a challenge. Generally speaking, human beings don t like change. We prefer to play safe, and st ay in our own comfort zones. But change can be good, and staying close to home w here it feels the most comfortable is not always the best solution. What do we need, then, to endure the challenge of life s adaptations? Above all, we need the right attitude and perception. These essentials will ulti mately determine whether our journey of adaptation is a success or a failure. Practically speaking, a person will choose to respond to influences according to own system of beliefs and perceptions. If he sees an event as positive, his res ponse will be positive. If he sees it as negative, so will his response be. When a person changes perception, he also changes mental filter, and this change will determine the final result. The process of successfully adapting to some life change requires a certain amou nt of mental and emotional preparation. This is crucial for overall success. Viewing the whole thing with a positive perspective is a healthy way to live. As such, changing negative perceptions is a must do for everybodyif they want to e njoy success with their journey. By doing that, they will save their mental ener gy, health, relationships and maybe even their job.