Embracing Transitions as Invitations for Growth
With autumn arriving, I feel the invitation to share the beauty and power of transitions. Nature teaches us this beautifully. Rather than rushing from one season to the next, we pass through autumn into our inner winter. This is a time for stillness, to reflect on what’s happening within and what opportunities are being offered.
Learning About Change in My Corporate Career
In my corporate finance career, I learned a lot about change. I had to embrace, adapt, and lead it—even when it was unwanted. Fortunately, I love challenges and growth. Looking back, I see how I would feel the pull of change, review my options, and take action to make it happen.
Discovering Transitions in Coaching
As I transitioned to a coaching career, I became familiar with the concept of transitions. It gave me a new perspective on the cycles of change. I enjoyed change when I initiated it, but I disliked losing control when change happened to me.
The Typical Approach to Change
Most people approach change by identifying what no longer works and finding what’s next. This problem-solving mindset focuses on external solutions and is driven by urgency.
Transition: A Different Approach to Change
Unlike change, transition begins by acknowledging the ending. It invites us to slow down and honour what has been achieved, celebrate it, and then let go. This process can often involve grief, especially when the ending isn’t by choice. Instead of rushing, we’re called to look inward for growth.
Slowing Down Before Moving Forward
Through my own process, I realised there’s great value in not rushing. Slowing down and creating space for reflection takes courage. Our mind wants to act fast to regain a sense of safety, but if we can pause, we enter the liminal space of transition—a place of not knowing. Here, we reflect and connect with our inner world.
The Liminal Space: Where Growth Happens
Transitions honour the inner process above all else. They encourage us to explore within, rather than seeking quick external solutions. It is in this space, between endings and beginnings, where true growth occurs. Only when we embrace feeling lost can we discover the true path forward.
Trusting the Process of Transitions
In the dark forest of uncertainty, we often only see the first step. By trusting the process, the next step becomes clear after we’ve taken the first. Even when we take a wrong step, we gain insight and have the chance to course correct.
Trust hasn’t always come easily to me, but by bravely experimenting with this approach, I’ve been amazed by the new beginnings that emerge. By engaging my heart, body, and soul, I’ve tapped into possibilities far beyond what my mind alone could create.
The World in Transition
We live in a time of immense transition. Many people feel overwhelmed, anxious, and disconnected as they struggle with change. Some use band-aid solutions or deny what’s happening. This leaves many in survival mode, unable to access true growth.
An Invitation to Embrace Your Transition
Whether you’re seeking change or life has thrown it at you, I invite you to see what this transition offers. Take time to reflect, and seek support from a trusted professional or friend to hold space with you. Your inner winter may be the gateway to a spring full of new possibilities.
“Transition always starts with an ending. To become something else, you have to stop being what you are now.”
— William Bridges
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