Transition seems to be a common theme in many people’s lives right now. While we might know and can intellectualize that life is a series of transitions — some big, some small, some fast, some slow — they can still feel scary and difficult to navigate gracefully. So, I’ve been thinking about a few of the things that make transitions feel tough.
Resistance
From where does this resistance stem? Is it fear of change itself or the unknown? Or is it intuition telling us something isn’t quite right? How do we determine the difference and sort through the confusion?
We get quiet and listen.
Anticipation
We can be in a hurry to get “there” because “there” seems great and get out of “here” because “here” is uncomfortable and messy. How do we meet this?
We bring our awareness to the fullness of the present moment, breathe it, feel it, and see it completely. We practice getting comfortable with uncertainty and release the myth of certainty.
Clinging to the past
Whether the previous moment was favorable or not, it’s what we know, so we often prefer it. But in order to grow, thrive, and evolve, we must accept the inevitability of movement and embrace change. How do we do this?
We practice letting go, trusting that the path will unfold. We choose to trust that we are exactly where we are meant to be.
“We realize that connecting with our experience by meeting it feels better than resisting it by moving away. Being on the spot, even if it hurts, is preferable to avoiding. As we practice moving into the present moment this way, we become more familiar with groundlessness, a fresh state of being that is available to us on an ongoing basis. This moving away from comfort and security, this stepping out into what is unknown, uncharted, and shaky — that’s called liberation.” — Pema Chödrön, Comfortable With Uncertainty
Lean into the present moment and breathe. Freedom — that’s what is both within and on the other side of this transition.
Krystal Barschig 