5 Reasons to Give Thanks For Transition

There are all kinds of transiton in life - some we think of as positive and some we think of as negative. The positive kind - like getting married, having a baby, moving into our dream house - can be a mixture of delight and dread, stress-inducing and thrilling at the same time. And usually, we don't have to be too coerced to jump onto those rollercoasters because the ride is just so darn appealing!

There are other kinds of transition in life. The kind we usually think of as negative - like getting a divorce, getting laid off from a job, the death of a loved one. With these kinds of transition, there is no thrill, no real delight, no anticipation of a wild and wonderful ride. There's usually a lot of anxiety, struggle, and fear. Sometimes, even though we are supposed to be moving from one chapter of our life into another, there is even the overwhelming feeling of being stuck.

All transitions are life's way of moving us along in our journey. And I want to give you 5 reasons to be thankful for the transition you are experiencing or have experienced. Think about how you evaluate what is happening in your life. When you become open to re-evaluating a situation, you become open to giving it new meaning and open to new beliefs.

1. Transition helps us know what we don't want. It's a lot easier to get clarity around the things we don't want to experience, or feel , or be around, than it is to get clarity about the things we really do want. And, life's less-than-joyful transitions are full of reminders of how we don't want to be feeling. Pay attention! Write it down. Get it all out. And then, take each thing on your list and ask yourself, "What DO I want?". Some of the answers will flow easily and some will take a little while to come. That's OK. This is a work in progress and the results will be worth it.

2. Transition is Movement. By its definition transition is supposed to be the segue from one chapter of life to the next. Then why, you ask, does it so often feel like being stuck?. It's because we resist what is happening. We dig in our heels and hold onto the familiar surroundings for all we're worth. But, you say, I can't let go! It'll hurt. It will be too hard. Nothing will be as painful and difficult as the resistance you are holding onto. Take a deep breath in and as you release it out, surrender to moving one small step at a time. Then do it again. Keep breathing and keep taking one step at a time. See? You're moving! And the little bit of relief that you feel will help you to keep on moving.

3. Transition is opportunity. The Chinese word for "crisis", a combination of the two symbols "wei" and "ji", has been loosely intrepreted in the West to represent "danger" and "opportunity". The idea is that within the seed of crisis is not only peril and danger, but also opportunity. If you go to Wikipedia, you'll see that this is actually a little bit fact and a lot of folklore. But what you'll also see is that "ji" has numerous other meanings which include "crucial point", "pivot", and "chance". And this is where transition really becomes opportunity. It may feel like a crisis. It may feel like danger. In reality, it is a chance, an opportunity, and a pivotal, crucial point when we have the chance to be, do and have more of our better selves.

4. Transition is the catalyst for Transformation. When we decide to allow transition to move us and we take the time to begin to define more clearly what it is we want to experience, we become open to the possibilities of powerful transformation. We start to move with the stream. We start to connect with more of what we want more easily. Our actions become inspired. Our channel to Spirit becomes clearer.

5. Transition is the call to Consciousness. Everyday you are creating your reality. Whether you do it on purpose or by default is up to you. Transition can be your wake up call to living more intentionally. It can be your moment to decide you are going to discover your soul's purpose, your time to express your authentic calling in life. When we decide to live with intention and purpose we are saying to Spirit that we are going to listen and act in alignment with our highest self. That becomes our offering to the world everyday.

So if you are finding yourself in the midst of one of life's BIG Transitions (or maybe more than one!), think about how transition can be your portal to transformation. Think about how you can use your experience to become a better version of YOU. Let me know how you do!