Conditions for Transition

Navigating a midlife transition or professional pivot can feel like walking a tightrope.

You’re balancing who you’ve become with who you could be.

In James Hollis’ book “The Middle Passage” he talks about two adulthoods.

The first adulthood is about fitting into what society wants you to be.

The second adulthood is about discovering who you really are (and what you want).

This transition usually happens at the midlife stage for life.

For some it's earlier, for some it's later and for others it's never.

It's a tricky transition because we're caught in the stories of the past and what they tell us about what's possible in the future.

This period can be represented by two Venn diagrams.

If you never make the transition the Venn diagram never overlaps.

If you belive it's possible the Venn diagram overlaps.

With enough work the overlap is such that what you want and what's possible become the same.

At the beginning this overlap may look really small.

However, as you explore the overlap gets bigger and the circles get bigger.

You get clearer about who you are which means you get clearer about what you want and you start discover how to get it.

Ultimately, if you trust in and commit to the process, the overlap gets so big that you no longer have a choice other than to be who you are.

This doesn't guarantee you riches and fame.

But it will lead you to more peace and acceptance.

And in the end what is happiness really other than being present with what is and peacefully accepting it?

If you're struggling to build your purposeful business whilst navigating a midlife transition remember that they are two sides of the same coin.

Both are journeys from the inside out.

Both are about balancing what you want and what is possible.

Both require you to pragmatically work with life as it is and also influence its direction by getting clear on what you really want and who you really are.