WALKING AWAY. As we approach the end of summer and transition into fall, we’re faced with excitement for what’s ahead and some unsettling feelings as we face the unknown. On to another year of school or season of life. For us, this season includes one starting and another finishing high school, another in college, and our youngest in third grade. Transition is tough for many families. Families involved in cross-cultural work face a steady stream of regular transition. I know there’s some families that serve globally that are faced with maybe the toughest transition of them all -- when the transition is unexpected and not of your choosing. Often situations beyond our control can cause leaders and their families to make a move. In What To Do Next, Jeff Henderson writes, “Walking away is tough. Our emotions have a hard time catching up with our bodies. IT’S EASIER TO DRIVE AWAY PHYSICALLY THAN IT IS TO WALK AWAY EMOTIONALLY. When we leave to start a new season, our EMOTIONS USUALLY LINGER, especially if we’ve given so much of ourselves to the previous season.”
These thoughts are powerful. It’s tough to walk away when we’ve invested so much time, energy, and resources in that previous season. Whether it’s in leadership or in family life, these emotions will resonate in different frequencies over the coming months. Those new to sending kids to college wonder if what they’ve taught, modeled, and hoped for in their kids was “enough.” Henderson’s quote rings true that it is “easier to drive away physically than to walk away emotionally.” To press the gas pedal is easier than enduring each day missing the old season. What are you walking away from? In this new season that seems new and unfamiliar, how are you processing these emotions that linger? If you feel stuck and can’t see your way out, who can you reach out to?
A coaching conversation is a great space to work through the emotions of transition. The focus is on moving forward with clarity and confidence even when they both seem so out of reach. So, if you’re in a season of transition whether in life or leadership, consider reaching out so we can “lean forward together.”
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