scaffolds of change
||first part of this is an old writing revisited called transitions scaffolding. just added some new musings...||
sitting in the messy middle of a transition in my life currently...chewing and piecing together a bit of a framework that I find has held true to many transition seasons for me and have found some beams in the scaffolding...
revelation – external or internal stimuli to shift; a new word, option, or direction
release – from current space, close doors, depart well, let go
receive – rest, refresh, refuel; step through new door to new space; soak in gratitude, acknowledge gifts/blessings of the before and the after
ready – prepare for the next; ready yourself for battle; take skills/growth inventory; reskill + learn for the gaps
rewire – restore equilibrium in the “new normal”; establish habits for growth and success in new space
beyond what I see as a rough timeline through the liminal space of transition, I think there is an extra phase of resistance that almost always finds its way in at some point of the process – even if the transition is a positive one.
it’s the inherent friction against forward progress, the inertia against initiating movement or stopping momentum. but ultimately the resistance’s main outcome or at least intention would be to halt forward progress towards the intended goal – unless the key phase of reflection is inputted.
reflection acts as the secret weapon to resist the resistance. take inventory of your personal win, loss, and growth resume for confidence in the battles you have overcome and the skills you carry to face this new one. reflect on the values you hold to be true and the promises that are not voided, starting with solid footing and returning to it regularly.
reframe your current situation to the big picture. this helps to find common themes and threads to why this transition might be happening or how to find the lemonade from the lemons. reflect to reframe. I’d dare say this resistance is perhaps significantly smaller than what you have going for you and may perhaps be the tool for strengthening you to carry the weight of the next season.
to name a season a transition, or change - is linking it to the behind and before and adding different. it's the bridges or tunnels that facilitate the connection from one to another. there is plenty of room for unease when teetering from one season to another - a grey zone, a neutral zone - i’m not where i was, yet i am not where i am going. and both sides of that continuum have positive and negative aspects.
but don’t do the transition zone a disservice. i think it serves an independent chapter in itself. after all, bridges and tunnels are architectural marvels all on their own. some are longer or shorter than others, some dark, some scenic, some unexpected, some sought out.
there may be a multifaceted tension that you hold at the bridge. both the rub and the resonance of what’s ahead. both the release and the cling of what’s behind.
different gives differently.
different demands differently.
we are not where we used to be, nor are we yet where we're going.
that all feels mysterious, potentially uncomfortable, and quite anticlimactic. unless i let the predictable unpredictables and known unknowns label this season as its own unique phase. there is beauty and goodness and purpose in this stage too. it has its own structure, character, fit and feel. this chapter is more worthy of its own label and purpose than simply a contrast to what it’s not.
so i mind the gap. like a bridge or tunnel, the structure that exists in the space positions us for the next, designed to perfectly meet the demands of the gap. the bridge may be quite exposed with a hesitation to look over the railing. the tunnel may be dark, obscure. there is room for a posture shift - a re-establishing of firm footing and foundations, before launching to the next.
what if this bridge, this transition was perfectly poised to be a values inventory? assessing what values you hold core, worth carrying over the bridge. purging what doesn’t serve, what can be left behind in the tunnel. it’s a ready-ing season for the release to the next chapter and a recalibration to a higher level. the reflecting and reframing of the inflection point - an invitation for powerful change.