TRANSITIONS

In life, the only thing constant is change.

We like to believe in “the finish lines” of life:  we graduate, find the perfect job, the perfect mate, start our family, retire… with each of these events, part of us believes we’ve “made it”.  Then something interesting happens:  Life doesn’t measure up to our expectations.  We thought having X career or being married or becoming a parent or retiring would be different.

We bring so many expectations to our life’s phases and are often disappointed.  Or, even if we aren’t unhappy with our “new normal” – we may have encountered problems, obstacles or issues we weren’t prepared for!

We may even begin to reminisce about the “olden days” – earlier phases of life that we have already mastered.  We may long for those days when we felt more confident and secure – or at least, we knew what to expect!

The truth is, if we’re not changing, we’re not growing.

As humans, we naturally resist change – sometimes, even to the point of (consciously or unconsciously) choosing stagnation and resentment over change and growth!  All too often, the familiar provides a false sense of security.  I’m not suggesting we embrace every opportunity for change that comes our way or change things in our life that are working for us, but most of us have had the experience of holding ourselves back from new opportunities out of fear – AND THAT’S WHEN WE NEED TO MOVE TOWARD THE FEAR INSTEAD OF AWAY.  That’s when we could use a little extra support as we transition from where we are now to where our best self wants to be. 

Lots of things can help during times of transition:  meditation/prayer; visualization; journaling; talking to a trusted friend; life coaching; therapy or any combination of above...  whatever supports you where you need it most.  And self-care is always important, especially during times of change:  regular exercise and sleep (they’re correlated!), healthy diet and time to laugh and have FUN are all essential elements to re-balancing mind, body and soul. 

Remember to choose your mindset:  transitions can be difficult for many reasons, yet they are also periods of time where we are more open; this can be a time of great creativity and growth!  Be kind to yourself (and others) in the process :)