Shift happens. Generally, it's unexpected and unsettling. Bull markets eventually stop rampaging, hibernate for a while as the country experiences a recession. You find out an old acquaintance has been trying to undermine your relationships with mutual friends. Just as you get settled into a new home, you lose your job and must adjust to a lower income.

Change Your Thinking, Change Your Response

The attitude you have towards these distressing events impacts their outcome. Epictetus, the Greek philosopher, said, "People are not disturbed by things, but by the view they take of them." Your perspective determines whether your response will be positive or negative.

If you respond positively to a situation and believe it will get better, you'll take actions that bring about a beneficial result. However, if you bemoan the situation and sink into immobility, then you'll end up worse than when you began.

One of the ways to adjust your attitude is to alter the way you look at the situation. Over the years, clichés, proverbs and quotes have helped people to realize that there is more than one way to look at a problem. When you do, you open your mind up to other possibilities. Here are some ideas that will help you keep things in perspective:

Necessity is the mother of invention. When there's a problem, let it inspire creative efforts to find a solution. If there's no problem, we coast along and don't make progress. How can you engage your creativity even when there isn't a problem?

Into every life, a little rain must fall. No one gets through this life without some difficulty or upset. Right now, it seems as if it's pouring. But the storm will pass.

Make the best of a bad situation. Accept what's happened. Then, figure out what tools you have to work with and get resourceful. How can you find something beneficial in the situation that makes things bearable or better?

This too shall pass. In early adulthood, this phrase got me through a very bad day at work. It became my mantra for the day. It was my lifeline. That day did end, as all do. Eventually, your crisis will also be in the past.

"Tough times don't last, but tough people do" Robert Schuller. You've made it this far in your life, so you're tougher than you know. You have the ability to make it through this, too.

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. What lessons can you learn from the current situation that you can use in the future?

"In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity"Albert Einstein. Challenges get people to think about problems in new ways. Consider how people are now figuring out how to use 3-D printers to create vitally needed medical equipment. It's unlikely that would have happened without this crisis. What opportunities can you find in life's difficulties for yourself?

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. This sums up the situation. We have a lemon of a situation right now, no doubt. But if you shift your perspective, you'll be able to develop something sweet and pleasant.

What Are Your Next Steps?

This isn't to say that you should ignore feeling scared or upset. Take the time to mourn what's gone or not currently available. Acknowledge it and let it flow through you. Just don't let the grief immobilize you. The longer you stay immobilized, the longer it will take you to start living again and moving in a positive direction.

Take a deep breath, and another. What steps do you need to take to move forward? Get creative. Life is always changing. You will get through this. And you can find a way to make the situation work for you, to come out of it stronger, and more resourceful. And you might even have some lemonade.