“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” ~Anais Nin
Before beginning my certification to become a professional and personal coach, I attended an intensive workshop called “Life Launch” at the Hudson Institute. Here I learned about the continual cycle of life chapters and life transitions and how there are joys and challenges in each and the more dynamic your life is, the more cycles you will experience as you renew, reinvent or reintegrate.
Often coaches meet clients when they are feeling stuck, either disenchanted by the chapter they are in or feeling betwixt and between, uncertain what is next. These are signs that it is time for a change and even if you feel stuck, it is actually a dynamic stage. There is a knowing that comes after cycling through a few, once you have felt the looming texture of what used to fit and no longer does; the idea that going through the motions isn’t enough to sustain the evolving you.
It can be both scary and exhilarating to leave behind the life you know for a new way of working or being in the world. As Goethe says, “The gods come to the aid of those who are bold.” I remember hearing this quote early on in my life and felt strengthened by it, using Goethe’s words as a muse to help me navigate a brave new world, feeling guided in ways I couldn’t explain.
The best part about understanding the idea of chapters and transitions is it can be a ladder toward a greater life, understanding this natural order and the feelings that come along with it. Sometimes we have to go through a rough patch to get to the other side, perhaps feeling disengaged, unsure, unprepared, out of sync, sad and resistant. As you awaken and work through your transition, a new plan begins to emerge and with it comes exuberance, when you likely begin to feel expansive, optimistic, creative, energized and determined. The flow of life: change and growth and being.
I’ve been through transitions many times and each time I admit it feels like the inward, quiet part lasts way too long before I am back in my comfort zone of action, positivity and connection to the outside world. I have learned that you cannot have one without the other, so there is now more acceptance as I gently allow time to be on my side, trying not to push too hard, knowing that may lead to a false start, which we all know puts you right back to square one.
