Life changes can often sound like a good idea until you’re in the midst of them. Especially when they’re brought about by a job loss, forcing one to adapt to a completely different way of living.

Millions of working Americans are facing major lifestyle modifications as companies both large and small have scaled back or gone out of business. In May, the nation’s unemployment rate soared to 9.4 percent, with an estimated 14.5 million people reported out of work. Things are even worse in California, which now has a jobless rate of 11 percent, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics.

“When a person is at the crossroads of a career change, it should not be viewed as a crisis, but a chance for something new and wonderful in their life,” said Redlands-based career counselor and industrial psychologist Dr. Nancy Carritte, whose past and present clients include The American Red Cross, University of Phoenix and Red Bull Energy Drink.

“Adopting this mindset will go along way in ensuring a positive outcome through all of life’s transitions.”

Despite the tough and unpredictable times, Carritte said there are positive solutions for everyone. In her practice, she provides clients with a safe place to examine where they’re at in their professional lives, define their desires and establish a new direction for their futures.

Anyone who is changing careers, forced or otherwise, can utilize Carritte’s five-step plan of action below to help them through the transition. She admits it’s not a simple process and will require patience, determination and a good deal of soul searching.

1. Access your situation.

Stop, take a deep breath and ask yourself if you really want to remain on your existing career path. Often, people have unfulfilled dreams, so this may be a great time to start your own business or indulge in your love of reading by working in that quaint little bookstore downtown.

Also, maybe your kids are grown and you no longer have the same level of financial obligations. If this is the case, perhaps you might want to consider only working part-time or doing consulting.

2. Take an inventory of your skills.

Many people who have worked their entire adult lives still aren’t sure what their skills are. If this is the case, make a list of your skills and also take a career assessment test. There are several of these available either online or through a counselor.

It’s very important to pinpoint your skills because that can give you a better picture of what kind of job will bring you the most contentment.

3. Investigate opportunities.

Once you have an idea of what type of new career you’d like to pursue, begin looking in your local newspaper and other community publications for openings. There are also many online resources that list job or small business opportunities.

4. Build a network.

This is really a crucial step to opening the doors to a new career. Talk to friends, family, former co-workers and acquaintances to find out what contacts they might have to help you.

One can also join community groups, such as the Chamber of Commerce, where local business people connect and exchange resources. Another great place to find employment opportunities is through personnel agencies or job fairs.

5. Prepare your pitch.

If someone has been in the same job for many years, it’s very likely they will need help writing a professional-looking resume and prepping for interviews. There are countless services out there which offer this type of assistance for a fee.

If money is an issue, visit your local library and check out some books on resume writing and how to present yourself to a potential employer.

With any career change, Carritte warns that there are psychological stresses. It’s quite normal for one to feel confused, uncomfortable and even depressed, she said. Additionally, the financial pressures of being out of work can take their toll, bringing a sense of hopelessness and desperation.

But Carritte cautions not to jump into just any job that comes along simply to avoid these feelings. To ensure you make the right choice, she believes you must be willing to step back and take a serious look at how to successfully enter the next phase of your life.

Carritte also said to remember your job should not define you. Your true identity is best discovered through spending time with family, hobbies and other interests that bring you a sense of peace and fulfillment.

“Americans have a tendency to define themselves by their careers, so it’s no surprise that so many of them lose their identities when they lose their jobs,” said Carritte, former head of human resource and management development for Baskin Robbins. “But what you do for a living is not who you are. That’s the most important thing to remember.”

What in the world?!!! That’s what I was thinking last week when I posted an inspirational video about Susan Boyle on Youtube and received nearly 1500 views overnight! I watched Susan’s story on the Internet when it first started to break and thought it would be a great topic for a motivational talk.

I figured I’d make the video with my Webcam and put it up on Youtube for my friends and fans. I had no idea it would become so popular. To date, it has had nearly 128,000 views and my heart is so very thankful for the people I’ve encountered and the lessons I’ve learned.

I’ve enjoyed receiving hundreds of messages from individuals around the globe about how much my video inspired them. At the same time, I’ve also been a bit distressed over all the hateful comments that have come in. Mostly it’s hard to believe, and very sad, that so many people have such black and angry hearts.

I decided the best way to deal with the negativity was to examine ways in which I could further motivate and teach people to become happy, successful and find peace within. Every situation, whether good or bad, helps us to move forward and brings opportunities to discover more about our path and purpose.

My greatest lesson in all of this was that despite my good intentions to make a difference in the world, there are still plenty of people who are going to accuse and mock my efforts. Evil abounds and there’s no escaping it. Some humans live to be mean and get a kick out of trying to knock a person down to their level.

Will that fact stop me from doing what I was born to do? No way!!

I heard Susan Boyle say in a television interview that she has dealt with haters all of her life. And one of her neighbors wrote to me and said he witnessed her being viciously bullied. Surely, Susan has cried buckets of tears over this and has been tempted to give up more than once.

But deep inside, she knew she had something special to offer and continued to believe a door would open one day for her to share her gift. Now, that steadfast belief has brought hope to millions far beyond what Susan could have ever imagined. In these times of global distress and uncertainty, the Scottish songbird has succeeded at the insurmountable task at making the world a much better place!

It’s true that the majority of us will never make such a big impact on society as a whole. But we can affect those around us and be a vessel of transformation everywhere we go. There’s monumental value in those seemingly small things like lending a sympathetic ear to a stranger or offering a kind word to someone for no reason at all.

We are all part of the great chain of life, which means every person is important and has a job to do. Yes, some will definitely set out to throw us off course by making us feel unworthy. But we must remain strong and committed to helping each other triumph on this journey, no matter how tough things become.

Susan Boyle has delivered a timely, multi-dimensional message we can cling to for strength and inspiration. And she deserves our gratitude for having the courage to be true to herself in the face of adversity. Her amazing gift to mankind will continue on through all of those who have been touched by her grace, beauty and unstoppable spirit.

Without naming names, I come from a long line of negative thinkers. As a child, I have no recollection of anyone in my family even attempting to offer any positive reinforcement regarding my future. Oh, except for one time when I was watching the Miss America pageant and my uncle said he thought I would be Miss America someday. It’s funny how encouragement sticks with you no matter how ridiculous it is!

Despite not having anyone to be the “wind beneath my wings,” I always believed I would succeed in life and that there was no such thing as an impossible dream.. I’m not sure where my self-assurance came from, but I’m grateful it was a trait I was born with.

I admit there have been plenty of situations that challenged my confidence, but nothing has ever kept me down for very long. For me, the thought of not being able to overcome a hurdle, no matter how tall and deep, is absurd. My general mental attitude is one of perseverance and victory.

Even if a person is not born with a natural “never give up or give in” attitude, I truly believe it can be acquired. It’s all a matter of learning how to program your subconscious with correct thoughts and beliefs.

For instance, you may have a deep subconscious belief that no matter how hard you try, you never get a break. Most don’t realize it, but a belief like that acts like a powerful magnet to your external world. The more you hold on to that notion, you will continually repel anything good that is trying to come to you.

These negative beliefs that are imbedded in our subconscious can be identified in a number of ways. One indicator of what we are really thinking is how we feel. All bad feelings are caused by unfulfilled desire and not being aligned with our true or authentic selves.

If I start feeling restless, agitated, sad or any other negative emotion, I immediately ask myself, “What am I thinking that is causing me to feel this way?” As an example, I was dealing with the loss of some work assignments a couple years ago. And it looked like it might continue indefinitely, which would greatly affect my income.

At first, I was handling it well and was continually reinforcing to myself that I would always have enough money - even more than I needed. But after several weeks of that, and not seeing any sign of things changing, that old subconscious belief that I am destined to struggle financially reared its ugly head. And then the inevitable happened; I started to feel worried, nervous and very stressed.

Those emotions were blocking my positive money energy and I knew if I allowed them to control me, I would continue struggling with finances. So I began to use the flipswitch technique, which I learned from renowned psychologist Dr. Robert Anthony.

Whenever those bad feelings would start welling up, I affirmed things like “Money is easy for me to come by,” “I always have more than enough money,” “There is always more money coming in than going out,” “I use my fortune to bless others,” etc.”

In other words, I re-programmed my subconscious to one of abundance instead of lack. Not only did I begin to feel great again, work started flooding in from all kinds of unexpected sources.

The Bible says that a man becomes what he thinks he is. Great philosophers have continually told us the same thing - that our thoughts are the cornerstone to wealth, health, fulfilling relationships, peace and emotional/mental wholeness.

It doesn’t matter where we came from, how much support we’ve lacked, what we look like, our current financial state, or any other external factor. We have all been given the incredible gift of thought and are fully equipped to utilize this gift for our benefit and the benefit of mankind.

To me that’s the true miracle of life for which we must all be eternally grateful.

“Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so you shall become. Your vision is the promise of what you shall last unveil.”       John Ruskin

What do you see through the Looking Glass of your life? Sometimes it’s good to step back and view what’s going on with ourselves from the outside in. I feel that’s the best way to get a clear perspective of where we are on our journeys, and if its where we want to be.

So here’s an interesting thought to ponder. What if you could actually create, in your mind, the circumstances you see inside the Looking Glass? And then, whatever you create, would become your reality? In other words, instead of believing that things just happen to you outside of your control, you have the ability to decide how things are going to be.

The idea almost sounds like a fairytale, but I am certain God equipped man with a powerful mind that can literally shake a mountain off its foundation! Jesus said. “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." (Matt. 21:22).

He also said, “Everything is possible for him who believes." (Mark 9:23).

The key word is “believe.” A belief is a strong, unshakable conviction that you know, that you know, that you know. And where does belief begin? It begins in the mind!

Therefore, God is saying to us that as long as we have completely convinced ourselves that something is so, it is so! How awesome He is to have designed us like that!

The thing to remember is that deep convictions do not lie in the conscious mind. The conscious mind is only a filter, going both in and out, to the subconscious. Every true belief within a person, whether positive or negative, is rooted in the subconscious. And that is the place where we sow every seed of our existence.

It’s not all that difficult to cultivate a beautiful and abundant garden in our subconscious minds. It’s simply a matter of determining what it is we desire and then planting the components of that desire in our inner minds. For example, if you’re sick, spend some time everyday visualizing yourself as completely healthy. Repeat affirmations such as “I am constantly in the flow of Divine health,“ and “I am in excellent health and have boundless energy at all times.”

After doing this, allow yourself to experience the feelings of being in total health, simultaneously giving thanks for physical wholeness (you can do this in every area of life - finances, career, relationships, etc.).

As you regularly repeat this faith building exercise, your subconscious will soon take hold of the idea and it will manifest into reality. Once again, the moment an idea takes hold in your subconscious, it becomes a belief. And whatever you believe, you will receive!

What do you see through the Looking Glass of your life? Exactly what you want to!