Loss and significant life changes are inevitable. How you deal with them is not.
Consequential life changes and loss come in many different forms. Just this month, Hurricane Ian took homes and damaged properties, forever altering the course of some people’s lives. The death of a family member or pet, whether expected or unexpected, or surviving a traumatic event can flood people with a range of emotions.
“We as human beings all experience losses in our life. Whether they are monumental to little molehills, every single loss in our life affects us differently, said McKenna Reitz,a mom, wife, teacher, volleyball coach and motivational speaker.
McKenna knows what’s it like to walk through loss. Alopecia took all of her hair and at first, what she said felt like her identity. But then she said she realized alopecia gave her her identity.
She said she gave herself a grace period to grieve her loss. Then she started shortening that period and focusing on what she did have control over.
“The problem is not the problem. The problem is the attitude about the problem,” McKenna said, adding it’s also important not to focus on comparing your journey to others and don’t be afraid to ask for help. “It is okay to allow at least one person into your darkness just to know that you’re going through something.”
McKenna uses her experience to empower others and says anyone can turn their loss into an opportunity.
“We’re all battling something, McKenna said. "We all gave a story. And if I can inspire one person by walking in the grocery store bald and being confident, then that means they’re going to inspire someone because they’re going to be confident. And it created that pay it forward domino effect.”
See more stories with McKenna Reitz on The List.