I am currently reading Transitions by William
Bridges. Interestingly enough, someone who I admire and respect very much lent
this book to me. For quite sometime, she insisted I read the book. Although I
saw the enthusiasm and insistence every time she told me to read it, I did not
have the time, or even think I had the time to sit down and read about
transitions. Little did I know, this book would have knowledge I need at
this moment in my life.
As a 20-something year old young woman working
towards building a solid foundation and independence in my personal,
professional and social life, I find myself in a period that most of my peers
seem to be going through as well. The stress of living off your own earnings,
gaining work experience, developing professional partnerships, working on
personal relationships and friendships, staying fit and healthy, having hobbies
and personal projects and having a vibrant social life are all part of this
novice period in our lives as 20-something year olds. The excitement, the
stress, the anxiety, the intensity and the awesomeness that come with all these
desires to live a full and meaningful life manifest themselves in our daily
routines. We have the ability to impact every aspect of our lives and we tend
to want to control every outcome. But the thing is, we can’t always control
what happens to us. External circumstances can come in like a wicked curve ball
you have yet to learn how swing against. And that is okay. It is alright to not
to be able to control everything that happens to us. But what we can control is
our reactions and how we handle a certain situation.
In William Bridges book, I read the following line
that resonated with me:
“Not coincidentally, it is also the transition
rather than change that people notoriously resist.”
I find there to be a lot of truth in that line. I
can see it in others but most importantly I see it in myself. I have always
been so calculated and deliberate about every aspect of my personal,
professional and social life. And as life goes, external circumstances out of
my control began to invade my cookie-cutter, robust way of doing things. I
labeled situations in my life as successes and failures and stuck to the
definitions both those words had in the dictionary. I have always been
expecting of change. Whether it was packing my bags and moving to the United
States to get my degree and play Division 1 volleyball or moving on my own, I
have accepted all the benefits and consequences that come with it. What I have
found challenging is the transition period. Allowing myself to sometimes let
stillness speak has been a challenge I have been working on a daily basis. The
transition period between an end and a new beginning can seem overwhelming but
without going through the transition, there can be no true delight in the new
beginning, the change. The transition period is an opportunity for you to
discover what you want out of life. It allows you to recalculate the equation
to your desired outcome, whether it is in your personal, professional or social
life.
Transitions are an opportunity to decide what you
want to let go of and what you want to let into your life. The energy you send
out into the universe and to all those around you will have an impact on how
things will turn out in life. Yes, there will be periods of distress, anxiety
and fear. The key is to acknowledge all these emotions and work through them.
Someone once told me: have faith, trust life. Those words are not always easy
to take in when you are in a period of transition but you must learn to accept
them as a fact of life. The best part about a new journey towards a goal is not
necessarily the final outcome but all the knowledge, skills and experience you
gain along the way.
So, whether you are 20-something, living what they
call the “mid-life crisis” or over the age of 65, transitions are part of life.
Instead of resisting the transition, embrace it, all of it, the good, the bad,
the beautiful and the ugly. External circumstances may not always be in your
favor, but your reactions are yours to own. Be true to yourself, listen to what
is within, let others help and most importantly, have faith and trust
life.
No comments:
Post a Comment