Transitions: A Lifelong Commitment to Endings and New Beginnings

I have finally come to the end of William Bridges “Transitions”. It is interesting. We pick up books expecting to get all the answers to our questions. And to some extent we do, but we inevitably end up having new and more questions once we have come to an end. We tend to live in our daily routine, and very rarely take the time to truly sit down and reflect on the choices we have made, the lifestyle we embrace and the transitions that have brought us where we are today. Trust me, I am as guilty as the next person of not always taking the time to reflect. But what books like as "Transitions" does to me, is give me the opportunity to actively seek meaning and understanding out of my own life.

After reading this book, I have realized that transitions are inevitable. You can run away from endings but you are merely making the growth process long and gruelling. Of course some transitions will be less painful than others, but being able to understand that they are part of our development is key to accepting an end.

Towards the end of “Transitions”, I read the following line:

“Genuine beginnings begin within us, even when they are brought to our attention by external opportunities. It is out of the formlessness of the neutral zone that new form emerges and out of the barrenness of the fallow time that life springs.” (169)

We tend to seek new beginning based on our external circumstances but we cannot begin to embrace external opportunities without allowing ourselves to change within. We are less likely to respond to a new beginning with excitement and enthusiasm, if we do not spend some time in the neutral zone. And trust me, like I stated in previous posts, the neutral zone is not always easy or glamorous. It is a period of emptiness. I think we tend to believe that emptiness is a lonely and frightening place to be. But I believe that it is a time where you can truly seek what is within you. What is holding you back? What do you really want? These types of questions can be part of personal, professional or social transitions. I find it is imperative to go through transitions in life because it adds more depth to your existence. Personal development is what truly writes the story of your life. No one wants to read about the person who got whatever they wanted and never went through tough times, heart breaks or existential crises. So stop looking for that, and embrace what is in your “here” and “now”.

Whatever you may be going through, take time for yourself and reflect in the neutral zone. You will find that when a new beginning arrives, you will be filled with such excitement and readiness to take it on. “Genuine beginnings depend upon this kind of inner realignment rather than on external shifts, for it when we are aligned with deep longings that we become powerfully motivated.” (Bridges: 162) Embrace the process. By doing so, you embrace yourself fully and truthfully.