Movement

Stasis gets us nowhere. When we resist change, we are not living life – change happens to us, rather than with us. Movement is necessary to change. To get from here to there we must use our bodies and walk. Once in motion, change gets in step with us. What we need shows up. We are creating momentum to move towards something new.

It is natural for humans to resist change. We like our safety, as well the familiar. With change, we sometimes feel a loss of control. Our surroundings become unfamiliar. We experience uncertainty. Everything seems different. We are out of our comfort zone which we felt pretty good in. Our skills may no longer be serving us. We lose confidence because we are not sure where we are.

Once in motion though, it is hard to stop. What was is no longer and what will be is not yet in sight. So, what do we do? We keep walking, stay aware and find our way. There may be times of clarity and times of confusion. We may experience a range of emotions joy, anticipation, excitement, fear, loneliness, anxiety. By having the courage to get ourselves in motion, we have made change possible.

The Nature of Transition

Transition implies change – from one form or place to another. It is a bridge from one state to another. Transitions can be voluntary or involuntary. Which of the two they are doesn’t change the nature of transition, but it often changes our experience of it. Voluntary change is our own doing. We may have created or accepted the change and are on our way. Involuntary change pushes us and may lead us into resistance or discomfort with the changes occurring.

Finding our way through transition asks a lot of us.  We need to stay aware of our emotions, so that we can deal with them. We need to find a level of comfort with uncertainty and the time it may take to make it through the change. We must be willing to let go of things that no longer serve us and make room for the new (even if it may not have arrived yet). We can make the change a bit easier by visioning how life may be because of this transition.

Years ago, I read a book Transitions by William Bridges (great last name for the subject matter!). It continues to influence me today. The author identified three phases of transition: endings, neutral zone and new beginnings. He sees transition as the inner psychological process that people go through as they internalize and come to terms with the new situation that the change brings about. The neutral zone really intrigued me. In the neutral zone we are not where we were nor where we are going. This affects us in myriad ways. We could want to run back to the familiar, move forward too quickly or get stuck. With a construct like Bridges’, we may be able to settle into the nature of a transition and make the most of the experience.