It can be frightening to let go of the familiar when we don’t know what is on the other side. I recently saw a Facebook post written by one of my mentors. She briefly posted about the moment of letting go and reaching out to the gap between two trapeze bars.
There is a moment when the trapeze artist must release their hold from one bar and reach out for the other. Despite all the training and practice, that moment is filled with uncertainty about what will happen.There is the space of letting go of the known and reaching out for the unknown-it is the place of transition.
In our everyday lives, soaring across this dark void of uncertainty can bring about unrest. Nevertheless, I have come to believe that transition is the only place that change occurs. Transition zones are incredibly rich places. They should be honored and savored–yes, even when filled with struggle and feelings of being out of control. We must stand with courage in our vulnerability.
Calling upon determination and curiosity, we must forge ahead in spite of our apprehension. Transitions are alive, passionate and expansive moments in our lives. Erica Jong once said, “I have accepted fear as part of life- specifically the fear of change…I have gone forward despite the pounding in the heart that says: turn back.”
Don’t turn back or stay stuck in transition. Forge ahead and let go of what doesn’t serve you. Embrace the letting go, even, if you had no choice in having to face it. Don’t be content in your discontent just because you are afraid of unfamiliar. We all must accept our fear and embrace transition. The reward waits for us once we have found our way through the distress and uneasiness of change.
In the book “Warriors of the Heart” by Danaan Parry, it says that,
“transformation of fear may have nothing to do with making fear go away, but rather with giving ourselves permission to “hang out” in the between trapezes. Transforming our need to grab that new bar, is allowing ourselves to dwell in the only place where change really happens. It can be terrifying. It can also be enlightening in the true sense of the word. Hurtling through the void, we just may learn how to fly.”
So, embrace transition, take the leap of faith and learn to fly.
Pause Stress 