In a lyric from his famous song, “Beautiful Boy,” John Lennon assures us that “life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans.” Life’s unexpected detours are sometimes interesting and fun—and sometimes they are devastating. One moment you are totally clear about who you are, what you’re doing, and where you’re heading, and then out of nowhere something happens that turns everything upside down. Money problems erupt. A career move backfires. Your once good health takes a terrible turn. A relationship ends.

As much as we may wish it weren’t so, change is one of the few constants in our lives. In fact, it’s our resistance to change—and not change itself—that usually causes us the most distress. When we can accept that change is a natural (and yes, sometimes painful) part of life, we are in a much better position to accept it, to learn from it, and to evolve as a result of it.

As someone who has lived through the devastation of the failure of a business, loss of earnings, a debilitating illness, and the end of a relationship (once all at the same time), I can tell you with confidence that change, while painful, always comes bearing gifts. My own experience has taught me that the biggest, most dramatic changes are usually the ones that yield the biggest and best rewards. Today, I am grateful for the economic downturn of the early 1990s which devastated my business, because out of that experience came a career bigger, better, and more amazing than anything I could have ever planned for myself. My health scare placed me firmly on the path of healthy eating and regular exercise. And, of course, I am so grateful that the relationship I once believed would last forever ultimately crashed and burned, because if it hadn’t, I wouldn’t have been available to meet my beloved husband, Brian. Looking back, it’s easy to see that some of the best things in my life today are a direct result of what I once judged as some of my worst times.

Lissa Coffey is a wise woman whose firsthand experience in the realm of change, closure, and relationships can skillfully guide you through times of transition. As you read this book you will begin to see not only that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, but that you have been drawn toward that light by design. If I had been fortunate enough to have stumbled upon the book you are now holding in your hands, I know my journey would have been easier, smoother, and quicker.

As you begin this process, allow your mind and heart to open to the new possibilities that this life change is urging you toward. I am willing to bet that something wonderful is about to happen.

With love,

Arielle Ford