I want out of this fog! That's the cry of many people who find themselves blinded by transition, frustrated over their inability to gain clarity and move forward.
The Sacramento Valley where I'm from sometimes gets covered with a thick blanket of winter fog. I recall one particular time when it lingered for days. But a drive up into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains soon had me breaking out of the thick soup and into crisp, clean air and sunny skies.
Prolonged transitions can leave us longing for clarity. The contrast between confusion and clarity is stark, reminding me of the process of navigating transition. While feelings of unclearness are normal and even helpful at various points in the journey (more on how lack of clarity can be helpful in a future post), taking some proactive steps to aid in navigation can set us up for success.
1. Beef Up Your Support System. I recently became aware first-hand of my need for support through a major transition. The challenges were simply more than I could handle without additional support. This meant reaching out to a friend and asking if they'd be willing to meet regularly for mutual encouragement and prayer together. They were more than willing, and our regular skype calls have had a huge impact on my perspective and attitude through a season of personal transition. This leads me to another need which transition often highlights...
2. Process More. Whether you're a verbal or internal processor, introvert or extrovert, one thing is for sure: we all need to find ways to process transition in a healthy way. Without it, by default we choose a prolonged transition. This might mean creating more space in our schedules for prayer, reflection and journaling. Or talking regularly and intentionally about our transition with a spouse, friend, mentor, counselor or life coach. Get eclectic yet intentional about your processing. It will reap huge rewards and help you move toward more clear skies!
3. Process Less. Ok, I'm contradicting myself again, not an unusual characteristic of those in transition. But this time it's intentional. In our search for clarity, we often find ourselves having the same conversations again and again with influential people in our lives, such as a spouse, boss, or team leader. And it seems to be a repeat of misunderstandings and opposing ideas, all of which lead to further confusion rather than the clarity we seek. These dead-end dialogues are huge energy drainers, prolonging an already long transition season.
Although hard conversations can be a necessary part of transition, we may do well to ask ourselves, Is it the right time to return to this conversation? With this individual? Trusting God with our futures can sometimes mean processing less with some people, at least for a season, and trusting Him more with our futures.
4. Dream On. The ability to dream, to imagine a new future, is one sign that a tough life transition may be rounding the curve. Picture yourself rounding the bend, out of the fog and into clear skies. Seem like a dream now? Just wait. Dare to dream. And when you find it next to impossible to dream, allow God to do it for you:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” -Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
The important thing is this: to be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become. -Charles DuBos
Gain clarity through your transition HERE
Thumbnail Image Source: http://fav.me/d8lnq1r