Transitions are Distressing and often Unexpected — How to Make them Meaningful

How to make transitions less painful and more useful

It’s easier to accept transitions when we can rationalize the death of the person, relationship, job, or other deeply held belief. But what if the ending seems so arbitrary or unreasonable? My dear friend, Bill Brand, Redondo Beach Mayor, committed community advocate, vibrantly healthy surfer, and nonsmoker, died of lung cancer.

Or when the company suddenly pivots and eliminates a product category and lets everyone involved go.

Or a car accident.

Hang on! There is a way out.

Meaningful may not be a word that pops up when this happens to you. We are confronted with something new, unpleasant, and oftentimes frightening. How do you find solace and hope in the lessons learned, the memories gained, and the opportunities now available?

Change; we don’t like it, we fear it, but we can’t stop it from coming. We either adapt to change or we get left behind. And it hurts to grow, anybody who tells you it doesn’t is lying. But here’s the truth: the more things change, the more they stay the same. And sometimes change is good. Oh, sometimes change is everything. ~ Grey’s Anatomy