Welcome to the Journey of Transitions blog. 

 All of us at some point in our lives make changes - we transition from the way we know and are comfortable with to a brand new way of thinking and looking.  This transition can be relatively easy and smooth all the way to remarkably difficult and rocky. 

I have co-authored a book on Change (Seasons of Change:  A Journey of Self-Discovery) and I do speaking and consulting on the topic.  Some people would say I am an expert.   But I like to think of myself more as the wounded healer.  I struggle with change as much and at times more than others.  I find myself thinking that, “I should be better at this.” 

I have been in a period of transition for the last four years.  I used to think that I should be in the remedial change group (that’s a term from my childhood that should give you some idea how old I am).  But I have started to think that maybe life is a journey and I should enjoy the ride a little instead of always trying to “figure it out” or control it or ignore it.  (Just a hint - I’ve tried them all and they don’t work too well). 

The latest transition in my life is that I’ve moved to a new locale.  I went from Minnesota to the Black Hills of South Dakota.  I went from living in a town to living in the country.  From the flat prairie to the hills.  From a blue state to a red state.  It can be quite disorientating.  I think most change and the resulting transitions can throw you for a loop.  At times it’s quite temporary - think of your favorite grocery store being remodeled.  But at other times it can feel like your world has been flipped upside-down and nothing will ever be the same.  It is frightening and painful.  Choosing to move is kinda in the middle of those two extremes. 

When I first got out here, I couldn’t even find the grocery store, much less care if the peanut butter was in a different location.  Now at least I know of two different grocery stores where I wander a little but no longer is a trip to get milk and eggs like a polar expedition.  I’ve figured out how to forward my cell phone calls.  (We don’t get cell phone service in the Hills where I live.)  I’ve gotten new business cards and letterhead with my new address on them.  So I am making progress.  Each little step you take, helps with that feeling of disorientation.  Somedays it feels like I take two steps back for each step forward.  But that is the way it works (dammit anyhow!) 

It was suggested to me that maybe I should start a blog about transitions and share what I know and what I am learning.  So I would like to invite you to join me on a journey of transition.

If you would like, please share you own stories and what you’ve learned on your own journeys.  Your lessons, struggles and successes will help others as they take their own journeys of transition. 

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 28th, 2007 at 12:34 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.