Embracing Transitions
Life is a series of transitions. Everything is constantly changing and we are reacting and responding to that change all of the time. Even with the best of intentions, we get off course, and feel a lack of control. We feel frantic, need a solution and want to hurry ourselves towards certainty. There is better way to proceed. Yes, we may not be in charge of our circumstances at times, or other’s responses or behaviors. We cannot stop time or mother nature. But, we actually have more control than we think.
What if we give into the transition? What if we give it our heart and mind, and lean in. We ARE in control of HOW we respond to the circumstances around us as well as to another’s responses. We CAN pause for a moment to gain presence and make choices. We can in fact even decide to initiate the transition or change. Whether the transition is a choice or put up on us, we have the control to creatively look for new possibilities as we move thru.
When we see transition this way, we are able to honor it for what it is; we are also able to remain present and remember we have choice.
In Katherine May’s book, Wintering, she writes: “We all know a moment when you need to shed a skin. If you do, you’ll expose all those painful nerve endings and feel so raw that you will need to take care of yourself for a while. If you don’t, that skin will harden around you. It’s one of the most important choices you have to make.”
She then goes on, “It often seems easier to stay in winter, borough down in our hibernation…But we are brave, and the new world awaits us, gleaming and green and alive with the beat of wings. And besides, we (who have wintered) have a kind of a gospel to tell now, and a duty to share it.”
Transitioning can be hard, but it is natural. It is necessary. Leaning into it allows us to rest rather than resist. It allows us to feel the feelings and move through them. Whether you are leaving home, trying a new career, empty nesters, in relationships, helping a child move onto the next phase, etc, the wave will take you. As May shares, it can make us vulnerable and raw. But, if we choose to move forward and lean in, there is freedom to be had. We must be willing to ride that wave and experience all that comes with it.
When we are in the midst of transition – we don’t have all of the answers. The only certainty we have is that we will know when we get to the other side. The beauty lies in our ability to awaken ourselves and open up to the possibilities with reverence and adventure.