Trusting Transition
Spring has sprung! Happy Renewal!
The overall energy of Spring and the holiday rituals we have to mark it, are about renewal & resurrection. New life bursts forth from the stillness and death of winter. If you experience an uptick in activity, inspiration, or vitality, perhaps you are in the flow of the season.
The seasons are one of the many transitions we experience in life. Transition is part of nature. Birth and death, Love and Loss, Building and Dissolution. These cycles can bring a lot of upheaval, emotion, confusion, and fear for us humans. And they are an unavoidable part of life.
So how can we move through transition with more ease, grace, and acceptance? Here are a few things that really helped me move through several big transitions with more trust and grace:
FIND YOUR INNER GROUND
Transition is so disorientating because we often turn to the routines, people, places, and things in our lives to locate ourselves and decide what to do next. So much of how we navigate day to day is based on stuff that lives outside us. When anything about these external reference points change in a big way we can feel lost, disoriented, confused, and this gives rise to fear. So one of the first things to do during a big transition is to have a consistent spiritual practice, like meditation, yoga, or prayer, that will connect you to the stillness within. This inner stillness is your bedrock in the storm, its the one thing you can turn to anywhere, at anytime, to find some stable ground.
KNOW WHEN TO LET GO
There is a timing for everything. As chaotic as nature may seem sometimes, there is a precise orchestration to everything that unfolds. Learning to honor and listen to the flow of this timing has helped me feel when it’s time to let go and allow something new to be born. Letting go is not easy busy… even when you are ready. I have a habit of holding on just a little longer than necessary 😃 But ultimately when I honor that it is time to let something go, so much else goes into motion around me to facilitate that process.
LET IT BE AN ADVENTURE
I find the hardest part about transition is that we are moving from something known into the unknown. The Unknown is a scary place for us humans who like our safety and survival. We can approach the Unknown from a place of fear… 'what will happen?’, 'am I doing the right thing?’, 'what if I die?’; or we can approach it from a place of curiosity…. 'I wonder what’s possible next?’, 'how could life get even better?’, 'who or what might show up to help?' The more we can shift our perspective to a sense of adventure, any fear that arises is less menacing.
RESIST MAKING DECISIONS TOO SOON
One of the things we love to do when we are plunging head first into the Unknown, is try to make some decisions about anything, so we have direction and feel in control of something. While this can feel comforting and responsible initially, decisions are often based on what we already know, and they can cut off the possibility of anything that we don’t know from taking place. If we respond too soon with a decision we can end our transition before it has a chance to lead us all the way to new territory. So beware of making decisions too soon, that will stop your transition. Watch for ways you might use a decision, to create certainty before you’ve explored all the possibilities.
ASK FOR HELP
We are not meant to do transition alone. It is hard enough to be with all the emotions it can bring up, but add to that the logistics that often need coordinating, and it can be downright overwhelming! It is hard to ask for help when we don’t feel our best, or we’re not sure what direction we are going in next. And It is in these vulnerable places, that people have been most willing to help me. It is easier to connect with someone when they are being honest about where they are at emotionally and what they need. So take a chance, share what's up for you, and ask for help!
KNOW THERE IS AN END
Any time we are in transition, time seems to slow down. A day can feel like an eternity, and the desire to hurry up and be done with this part of the journey is quite common. But if we allow a transition to run its natural course, and you support yourself with some of the suggestions above. There are many gems that can be mined from these parts of lives. There will come an end to your transitionary period, and you will land have landed in a new space. This new space will likely require the new parts of you that were birthed during your transition. Whether its a new relationship, a new business, a new home, or something else, trust the process that is carrying you there, knowing that at some point it will come to an end.
If you find yourself in the midst of transition, reply to this email or post a comment and let me know what’s helping you through it!
much love,
Kamali