It’s been a while! I hope you are enjoying the lovely spring weather. I’ve been drawing parallels between the seasons of life and the weather and noticed I tend to see spring as a transitional season between winter and summer, as opposed to it being a season by itself. I don’t celebrate spring, and I should. I am quick to declare and rejoice at the end of winter- and do this for so long that before I know it, we are in summer. Perhaps this is due to my growing up in Nigeria where there are essentially two main seasons, rainy and dry. Actually, that isn’t strictly true, we also have harmattan which brings with it an early morning chill and a dry, dusty rest of the day.
How do you deal with transitions?
This view is similar to how I used to see transitional periods, the gap between seasons- like the space between a busy trading period and the next. In reality, that gap is a season in itself. You see, when you are going from one job into the next, or from one relationship to another, you don’t morph from one into the other without a break, do you? Most people have a break period and ideally choose to see the space between the two seasons as a season in itself. Even when it comes to switching jobs, you give yourself a couple of days or even weeks if you can. Transition is a season that requires its own time and attention, one that uses up energy and needs planning just like you would with any ‘real’ seasons of life.
Transition is a season
When we see that space as nothing but a stop gap, we miss out on the opportunity to rest and recharge. We lose the chance to gather the lessons the previous season was trying to teach us and we fail to collect the tools necessary to tackle the new phase we are about to step into.
Just like you put away winter clothes- at least for those who live in a less erratic climate than we do here in Britain- we need to discard what we no longer need for the new season and take stock of what’s required.
Currently, I’m in a season of transition. I have been bidding old mindsets adieu, and welcoming new ones. I can’t wait to share with you all I’ve uncovered about mindsets- specifically, mine.
Fear shows up during transition
One of the issues that have shown up in my life during transition has been fear. Fear’s main trait is paralysis. Two years ago I was about to take on a big and exciting project but found myself stuck and unable to begin. Through journaling, I uncovered a fear of leaving the familiar behind and stepping into a bigger space. I believe the reason fear was able to have a hold on me was that I did not mark out boundary lines which defined the transition period as a season in itself. Doing so allows you to come to terms with and gather the courage to step out of your comfort zone and into newness.
How do you deal with transition? Do you acknowledge it as its own season? Do you use it to refresh and recharge or do you prefer to jump straight in? I’d love to know!
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