Do you want to be getting more out of life? Do you ever wish your life looked different from what it is right now? March’s Focus of the Month from Aurora Health Care’s Employee Assistance Program examines how to “rewrite your life script.” It says:

“It is rarely too late to become the person you’ve always wanted to be. You possess a unique combination of gifts, some already realized and some as yet untapped. Rewriting your life simply means reassessing your strengths and preferences, and putting them to work for you in a new and fulfilling way.”

Easier said than done, of course, but Aurora offers some guidance on how to go about operating in this new manner:

• Permit yourself to be a beginner. Accept that as you explore new possibilities you will have many stops and starts. Rather than measuring your progress, adapt an attitude of curiosity about the process.
• Understand that it is normal to feel anxious about making a change. Some of what you will experience as fear, however, is probably excitement. Fear and anticipation create the same physiological responses in us, and it is often hard to distinguish one from the other.
• Recognize the benefits of already having some life experience. You are not a “has-been,” simply because you are starting over again. Your past will allow you to better appreciate your future, and will put your new life into a more realistic context.

Once you’re in the proper frame of mind, answer the following questions to help figure out how to proceed:

• What aspects of your current job or life circumstance do you enjoy?
• What would others say you do naturally and well?
• What do you love doing in your free time?
• What cause(s) do you feel strongly about?
• How would you like to be remembered?
• Which life accomplishments (starting with early childhood) have meant the most to you?
• What would you choose to do if you were not concerned about money and time?

For more information visit http://www.aurora.org/eap and select “Employee” in the box on the left side of the Aurora page; then enter the user name northshorebank. Click on “Current issue” under “Focus of the Month.” You can also call your Aurora Employee Assistance Program at 800-236-3231 to speak directly with an EAP professional.