Walking Through That Open DoorMaking Sense of Life’s Transitions

Who Are We?

David Riley Carol Nichols

age 32 age 27

What do you hope

to gain from this

workshop?

Our Goals

Understand that transition is a normal process with recognizable phases

Recognize how you have dealt with transition in the past

Formulate some ways to cope with transitions in your life and even to allow it to transform you

View transition from a faith perspective, as a way to new life and growth

Primary Sources

William Bridges Elizabeth Harper Neeld

What is Transition?

Transition is the process of letting go of the way things used to be and then taking hold of the way they have become. Transition is the way that we respond to, and come to terms with change. Transition is the process of making meaning in the changes that happen to us or that we cause.

William Bridges

Bridges’ Phases

Letting go of the old

Neutral Zone

Embracing the New Reality

Why do we resist transition?

It takes longer than change

It sets up resonance between present and painful past.

Overwhelmed

Rules for Understanding

Rule #1:

In transition you find yourself coming back in new ways to old activities

Rule #2

Every transition begins with an ending.

Endings

Sudden unexpected event

“drying up” of a situation or relationship that once felt vital

An activity that always went well goes badly

A person or organization breaks trust

An unforeseen problem crops up at the worst possible time.

Aspects of Endings

Disengagement

Disidentification

Disenchantment

Disorientation

Personal Stories of Transitions

Carol

Dave

Name a transition that you are currently going through, one that you recently went through, or one that you are planning to undertake.

Where are you in the process at this point?

What has changed in you?

Rule #3

Although it is helpful to understand our style of doing endings, there is a part of us that will resist that understanding.

Kinds of Changes

Loss of relationship

Changes in Home Life

Personal Changes

Work and Financial Changes

What is the Purpose of Transition?

Reorientation of the Self

Personal Growth

Authenticity

Creativity

Spirituality

Renewal and Rebirth:

Transformation

Tough Transitions: Navigating Your Way Through Difficult

Times

Navigating Tough Transitions

An orientation

map:

Navigating Tough Transitions

Responding

Navigating Tough Transitions

ReviewingWhat can I know?

What should I do?

What may I hope?

Navigating Tough Transitions

Reviewing

Where is/was God?

Navigating Tough Transitions

Reorganizing

Navigating Tough Transitions

Three strategies for exploring who I need to be:

1. Look at others. What works?

2. Ask, “What would I do differently from the past?

3. For what can I be grateful?

Navigating Tough Transitions

Renewing

Navigating Tough Transitions

Creative and Victorious Outcomes

Ability to feel joy

Capacity for empathy

New Appreciation for people and things

Renewed relationship with God

Freedom to be more authentic

Navigating Tough Transitions

Recovering a sense of humor

Hope as vision, as trust, as absolute

At some point you have to realize that some peoplecan stay in your heart, but not in your life.

Unknown Source

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle

Albert Einstein

We die on the day when our lives cease to be illuminated by the steady radiance, renewed daily, of a wonder the source of which is beyond all reason.

Dag Hammarskjold