Terrain of Transition

Recently, I’ve been drawn to make space in my life to be. You might call it slowing down or not pushing through, or maybe it would be called just being more present. This shift, is way outside my ‘normal’ mode and so it feels a bit odd for me. I realize though, that it is facilitating expanded awareness around connection to the natural world and also my alignment to my ‘current’ Self. It feels like a de-compression.

The power of story – is overwhelming to me right now. Until we step back a bit, it is not obvious; we are so used to a particular mode of thought and movement, we don’t realize that there is actually a story! It’s the part of our inner dialogue that tells us ‘why’ things happen a particular way like; “That person cut me off because they’re selfish!” or “I’m this way because —–.” Or the stories about WHY we like or don’t like something. Is this resonating with you? There’s the obvious story we call marketing and advertisement that is now everywhere and pertaining to everything from food, entertainment, to universities and politics. Those ads we kind of recognize as a ‘story’. But how about family traditions? Literally stories handed down from generation to generation by way of a; story.

Please understand, stories are neither good nor bad. They are simply stories! And we are wired for them having come from a long lineage of oral teachings until very recently. They are very powerful. We would do well to recognize their power in and of us. That’s really my point. When – we don’t recognize them as such, we are unable to give ‘informed consent’ and therefore are just simply unaware.

The empowerment that comes with awareness, returns us to our sovereignty. How did we get to ‘story’ when we started at ‘change’? Because we often react to change with a story of fear, scarcity, vulnerability, etc. And when we can recognize that we have the option of making a supportive choice about our situation; like just making space for the change or aligning with it; aka, leaning into it! (We can try to resist/fight the wave or we can surf it!)
Okay, let’s say we are good so far. We see things inside, outside or both in the midst of change; we are aware of any tendency to host a ‘story’ about it and choose instead to relax into the movement. Maybe do something creative, meditate, go for a hike or something to move the energy without just feeling its pressure inside. Now, let’s be honest; change is a process. And some changes last longer to transition than others, right? Now we are at the part in this conversation that is about the ‘terrain of transition’ and how to navigate that part.

While in transition, it is common that our energy might be low, that our mind might not focus like ‘normal’. We might have a shorter fuse or have more needs for quiet, rest, and things that feel nurturing. It is also common that in the transition; we probably won’t know what to expect from the future, and that doesn’t mean we aren’t trying hard-enough or that things will go badly! It simply means in the terrain of transition, we are IN TRANSITION and that is what we can see, feel, and expect. In this stage of life, whatever our spiritual beliefs or beliefs about ourselves are, they will be very influential. (The time to prepare for winter is not in winter.) We are benefited by having a strong and healthy sense of what we hold to be true. When we believe things are ‘always working out for our benefit’ we are supported through times of challenge or insecurity. Or when we truly believe ‘life finds a way’, we can see that it does! And so on… I feel like you are following this.

” Whether you go up the ladder or down it, your position is shaky. When you stand with your two feet on the ground, you will always keep your balance.  See the world as your self. Have faith in the way things are. Love the world as your self; then you can care for all things.” (TaoTe Ching, translation by Stephen Mitchell, 1995)