Transition is a Reality

When I paid our check after a meal at Cracker Barrel over the weekend, the cashier who helped me was a young man with the title “Manager in Transition” stitched on his apron. This caught my attention and I engaged him in conversation about what he was transitioning into or out of. The phrase reminded me that all of us are in transition whether we recognize it or not! Nothing in life is static. We may resist change, but things are always changing around us.

We usually become conscious of transitions at certain points in life—beginning and ending of school years or academic programs, changing of jobs, marriage or divorce, birth of children, death of family members or friends, or joining a new church. With the changing of calendars, most of us are probably thinking about transitions of one type or another right now.

Transitions are not good or bad; they are a reality. With transitions come new opportunities. New doors are opened and new perspectives become available. As a leadership coach, I define my goal as to help a person discover his or her growing edge and to live into it. One’s growing edge becomes more apparent during times of transition. Since things are changing anyway and new possibilities are becoming available, why not explore a new path to walk?

This presupposes a couple of things. First, God is always calling us to grow—spiritually, emotionally, relationally, etc. God has created us to be growing creatures. Growth is evidence of life. Second, we have the opportunity to make decisions about our lives. God has created us as decision-makers, and we are ultimately responsible for our own decisions.

Although we can make choices about our futures at any point on the calendar, the beginning of a new year is a great opportunity to consider where we can grow during the coming year. Find your growing edge and find those who will help you to move in that direction.

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