TRANSITIONS: From Here to There to Anywhere

A great deal of my body of work has focused on the value of exploring possibilities. We have the drive, desire, and commitment to achieve our dreams, but sometimes we lack the plan.

We explore the possibilities so that we can craft the best plan.

Focusing on what is truly possible is perhaps one of the most important things we can do to live our lives as fully as possible.

Quite often, though, we fail to search beyond what we know to find that perfect possibility when we know transitions are ahead.

Remarkable stories abound of people who defy the odds and go on an incredible journey beyond any imagined boundaries. Yet, for all of us, the velocity of change in the world today means that it will be the skill of fluidly going from here to there that will take us anywhere we wish to go.

One example story is British author, the late Dick Francis.  Because later in life, he showcased his skill as a superb storyteller, it would be easy to overlook how he came to that place in his journey.

I discovered him many years ago when I was a young single mom who loved a great story, and he certainly delivered. His stories were full of rich characters, intriguing plots, and breath-taking endings. Since he meticulously researched each one along with his wife, Mary, you felt as if you were being taken on a private journey with them through every story.

What bears notice, though, is that this was, in fact, his second career. His first was as a horseman. A renowned and gifted jockey, he was lauded in those circles for many years.

What brought him from horses to stories? Life’s transitions. Injuries, age, family - all the things that happen. 

So how did he do it? If you looked closely, all his stories took place in that world he knew so well. The world of horse racing. The people, the places, the horses. Those pictures he painted that came off the pages were ones he knew well. But inter-laced now were new things. New places. New characters. And always intrigue.

When it was time for his work to transition, he transported himself from the horses to his next work through storytelling. It is a beautiful example of how transitions can serve us as we migrate through life.

When we go from here to there, we take who we are and what we know. We use it differently, but it remains with us. There is a comfort in that.  By approaching life from this perspective, we can go anywhere.

Another favorite writer, Julia Cameron, expresses it this way in her book Transitions: Prayers and Declarations for a Changing Life:

“A bountiful life mixes continuity and change. We rest secure in our past while we add in the elements of our future. Sometimes change sweeps in on us from outside, but more often, we set change in motion through our own gardening hand.

As I focus on each day, taking the small and appropriate actions necessary to its best unfolding, I am building the larger movements of my life. As in music, large changes are wrought by tiny notes.”

Never forget that there is always more value in the rest of your story than you ever dreamed possible.

What is the next story your life will tell?