There Is Life After Transitions

Transitions can sometimes be tricky. People will always perceive them differently. Some are good; some not so good. A transition can be a lot like a journey. You have to head down the road; some roads will be bumpy depending on which route you choose. A transition is about getting from one place to another or moving past something. A journey is very similar. It gets you from one place to another, but often takes longer and unexpected things happen and change the path along the way. With a journey we may think we know where we're heading, but the destination can transform and change on the way (sometimes in the blink of an eye).

Many people are faced with transitions every day, often not by choice. You may have experienced a divorce and find yourself transitioning back to being a single person. You may have fought an illness and found yourself transitioning from being sick to being whole again; or as whole as you can now be. You may have lost your job and are trying to understand and transition into whatever tomorrow will look like. Or maybe you lost a loved one and are transitioning to a new life with the feeling of a broken heart making it hard to get through today.

Some transitions won't be as hard though. Sometimes they may start out feeling that way; we'll feel increased anxiety, we'll feel unsure, and we'll feel pressured but then the journey helps us to discover new and better things. We all get comfortable, sometimes even too comfortable. Like the seasons, we need to change. We anticipate the seasons (all four of them). We expect them. We know when they're coming and know what they'll feel like, but often many of us still have a difficult time transitioning from one into the next (especially going from autumn to winter). By the time February arrives many are seeking warmer temperatures and sunnier skies. In their own way they try to rush the season, but the reality is that nature needs to take its course.

Some teens transition to being young adults with more grace than others. Many adults transition into retirement better. Sadly, a lot of elderly have a difficult time transitioning through the process of getting older.

Yes, some transitions present themselves to us and we're expected to just know how to handle them. Not necessarily fair, but a reality nonetheless. The better news is ... we'll try to get through whatever transitions we need to. We may not know what the 'LIFE' after a transition will look like (other than different), but the important thing to remember is that there IS life after transitions.

What transition are you currently facing?