We all go through it at one time or another in our life. For some of us, more times than we may realize. I’ve been going through a major one now for the past three years; and one before that; and one before that, and, well, you get the idea.
I recently attended a webinar hosted by my friend Peleg Top dealing with transition and creativity. Borrowing some from what Peleg presented, “Transitions can be subtle or can shake us to our core. Unless we have the tools to navigate through these challenging periods, we may find ourselves stuck and unable to move forward.
“For most of us, facing change and transition comes with much fear and anxiety. We tend to overthink the process, worrying about the unknown future and in that space we tend to forget that change has great potential for growth, innovation, and renewal. It involves developing a mindset that values flexibility, open-mindedness, and a willingness to step out of comfort zones.”
In his TED talk The Secret to Mastering Life’s Biggest Transitions, Bruce Feiler identifies three stages that represent the emotional and psychological journey we go through when we face significant changes.
This framework can apply to different types of transitions, like career changes, relationship changes, relocating to a new place, or even coping with loss.
The first stage is the long goodbye
This stage has a mix of emotions, including denial, sadness, anger, and confusion. This is a time of reflection on your experiences, your identity, the roles you played, and the expectations that will no longer be part of your life.
The key to navigating this stage is acceptance and allowing oneself to grieve for what is being lost, recognizing it as a necessary step for moving forward.
The second stage is the messy middle
This is the phase where the old has been left behind, but the new has not yet fully taken shape. This is the stage where we often encounter confusion, doubt, and questioning.
You may struggle with your sense of self, not knowing exactly who you are in the absence of the roles and identities you’ve left behind. This is a time of experimentation, making mistakes, learning, and gradually gaining clarity.
The messy middle requires patience, resilience, and the willingness to embrace the unknown as an crucial part of the transition process.
The third stage is called The New Beginning
This stage has a renewed sense of purpose, clarity, and optimism. You start to establish new routines, form new relationships, and fully engage with your new reality.
This stage is a time of growth, accomplishment, and excitement for the future. This stage requires an open heart and mind, as well as the courage to step into the unknown with confidence.
I think I must still have one foot in the Messy Middle and the other foot in the New Beginning. However, it’s not uncommon for us to feel a presence in all three.
Next up in the webinar was a discussion of values and its two types, namely Life and Operational. Life values are those we have for the long term, what we want out of life. Operational values are those we have to attain our long term values. These traits help us get through the transitions we encounter. My three main ones are adaptability, curiosity and creativity.
From a list of about thirty or more Operational values, we were asked to pick six that resonate with us. My six: Flexibility, Competency, Honesty, Humor, Creativity and Discipline. I then narrowed these down to three that meant the most to me, namely Honesty, Humor and Creativity. Out of these, I chose Creativity, which really resonates with me.
My six Life values are: Happiness, Health, Family, Wealth, Wisdom and Fellowship. The three meaning the most to me are Happiness, Health and Fellowship, with Happiness being the one truly resonating with me.
Creativity is very important to me because it resonates with my internal being. It can lead to better times. Happiness can happen by way of creativity and flexibility. I need to further explore how best I can attain true happiness.
Borrowing again from Peleg’s webinar about creativity’s role in transition, Creativity can support us in every stage of change, offering comfort in the Long Goodbye, guidance in the Messy Middle, and celebration in the New Beginning.
Creativity has the potential to become your true guide, Peleg says, lighting the way forward as you step into the unknown, ready for change, growing stronger and more adaptable with every transition.
So no matter what stage of change you are meeting yourself in these days, Peleg suggests your creativity is a powerful ally in this journey. Your creativity can build bridges over obstacles, turning challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation.
He concludes by saying that as you embrace your creativity as your guide, you will discover that within you lies the power to face any change, to navigate through any transition, and to emerge on the other side ready to paint the canvas of your life with the vibrant colors of your newfound insights.
Without creativity my life would be truly without merit. When I tap into my creativity, it’s like I’m tapping into my seventh sense, a new form of being. It helps me on my life’s journey to become more than I can on my own. It’s a living, breathing, vital part of my soul. It’s up to me to keep it alive.
How is creativity playing a part in your life? Have you embraced it as a vital partner?
Hopefully making a ruckus, one blog post at a time!
Be sure to check out my other blog, Ideasnmoreblog, for a different kind of playground for creativity, innovation and inspiring stuff.
And, check out various creative selections from ideasnmore.net.
Jolan tru!
Joe's Journey 