“Change is not a threat, it’s an opportunity. Survival is not the goal. Transformative success is.”
Seth Godin
At one point or another, we’ve all walked through transition. These seasons of change, whether planned or unexpected, are often the turning points that define what the next chapter of our lives will look like.
Many life transitions are great!
They bring new and exciting opportunities and may even be the very things you’ve worked for and dreamed of. Things like getting married, starting a new job, or moving to a new home might fall into this category.
Other life transitions are less exciting, and some, can even be devastating. If you’ve been through one of these life transitions, I probably don’t need to offer examples…you already know.
Regardless, good or bad, planned or unplanned, all big transitions in life have one major thing in common:
Transition is always hard. (Yes, even if it’s exactly what you want to be doing.)
Why is this?
Well, to put it simply, transition always means change. When life changes, even in really good and meaningful ways, it involves some amount of loss. In seasons of change, we say “goodbye” to what is familiar and comfortable in order to embrace something new.
This “loss” can feel stressful or even sorrowful depending on the circumstances.
Let me offer an example…
A new mother gives birth to her very first baby. This is the child she’s dreamed of having and spent months carefully planning for. Once that sweet baby arrives, she’s understandably elated…and yet, those first few months feel excruciatingly difficult. After all, everything about her life now looks different.
She needs to adjust. To find a new way of doing just about everything.
This is normal. This is transition. This is hard.
This experience can be applied to any sort of life transition. Moving to a new city or starting a new job often bring with them a “fish out of water” experience. In other words, there will likely be some time before life feels normal, comfortable, or predictable again.
In addition to being stressful, seasons of transition often create a feeling of vulnerability.
Think about it…
There is a certain amount of safety and security that comes from knowing what to expect. When life changes in any sort of significant way, it’s very difficult to know what to expect or what to do in the new situations we find ourselves in.
This feels vulnerable…and that’s okay!
It doesn’t mean you are doing anything wrong. It simply means you are in a time of transition and transition is tough.
Here’s the good news…
It is entirely possible to experience hard moments AND feel joyful at the same time! They do not cancel each other out.
This means you can give yourself the permission to be excited and joyful about new beginnings AND honest about the struggles that accompany change. These different and varied emotions can exist in tension together as you walk through your own life transitions.
While seasons of change can feel stressful and vulnerable, they don’t have to cripple us either. Understanding ourselves as unique individuals can be hugely beneficial in knowing how to navigate transition in a way that is healthy and supportive.
If you are currently in (or anticipating) a time of transition, I encourage you to take the Enneagram Assessment.
This tool will offer you insight into the unique things that trigger feelings of stress or vulnerability for your personality type and give you some ideas to counter-balance those experiences.
Article was contributed by: Maria Lees, Team Writer with Sarah Boxx
