thecreativeverse creativity is our human superpower.
In case you haven’t noticed, massive change is upon us. But rather than be victims of it, we can learn to smartly navigate and even thrive within this Transition stage, by understanding what we’re experiencing, and what we can do to help ourselves and each other.
Check out my overview of today’s environment of change and the introduction to Earth 2.0 and the three critical stages of change here: Earth 2.0 – Humanity in Transition, Transformation and Evolution (HTTE)
Part I: Humanity in Transition – The Pendulum Swings
There is nothing permanent except change ~ Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher
Heraclitus, the ancient Greek philosopher and one of my favorite thinkers on change, famously said that “all things are in flux” and he was absolutely right.
Twenty-five centuries later, we find ourselves in a major change cycle that many of us didn’t even realize we had entered. Some scholars call this moment the Great Transition. I simply call it Transition – the first and most challenging of three major stages of change we’ll experience in the coming decades.
To thrive in these potentially chaotic and turbulent times, we must understand what’s happening and how to navigate it smartly. Not as victims of change, but as the architects and leaders we’re meant to be.
What is Transition?
Transition is the change from one state to another – the motion and movement between different states of being. For visual learners like me, I describe Transition using the metaphor of a pendulum.
A pendulum is an object suspended from a fixed point that swings back and forth under gravity’s pull. Depending on the force applied, it can swing wildly or gently as it eventually settles into equilibrium at the center. The time it takes to complete one full swing back to its starting point is called the period.
Now imagine overlaying this pendulum concept onto our current reality (see my doodle below).
Picture our Present as the center of the pendulum, with the forces of change represented by the Past on the left and the Future on the right. All three points represent our human understanding of time, though the Present is the only one we physically experience.
Both the Past and Future exert powerful influence on the Present.
The Past pulls us strongly as the keeper of our generational wisdom, foundational principles, values, societal structures, and established ways of being. No surprise that many remain firmly anchored to past ideas.
But the Future also holds compelling magnetism. We glimpse something new on the horizon – intriguing, advantageous, full of potential – so many are equally drawn toward future possibilities.
These competing forces create the pendulum’s back-and-forth motion. When the pull becomes too strong or extreme in either direction, the pendulum swings wildly, creating turbulence.
That’s exactly where we find ourselves today. The chaotic nature of our current times reveals we’re caught in a wild tug-of-war between these two forces.
Both sides compete for ownership of the present, leaving us to wrestle with fundamental questions: Do we stay in the “comfort zone” of how things have always been? Do we cling to past ideas regardless of whether they served us well? Do we charge full speed toward the future without considering hard-won lessons? Or is there a third option – a creative potential in the middle that combines the best of both worlds?
As this battle for the present continues, we’ll experience not only extremes and chaos, but also tremendous creative potential in that middle space. This center point – carrying energies from both past and future – is our present moment and our point of Transition.
Here, right now, we have an opportunity to consciously choose what to keep from the past and what to release. We get to decide how we want to move forward and who we want to become as we head toward our inevitable transformation.
The Period of Transition – Letting Go
Before we can reach transformation, we must transition. This stage is the hardest of all because moving forward requires letting go of what no longer works. That act of letting go makes Transition the most challenging, emotional, and messiest of the three stages in the change cycle.
Transition is NOT for the faint of heart. It’s not the easy, pretty stage of change. It’s not the caterpillar-to-butterfly transformation (we’ll get there eventually). It’s the gritty, sometimes explosive, turbulent stage right in the middle.
Transition is the challenging, chaotic state between where you are (the old) and where you want to go (the new). It’s the rebellious teenager breaking free from childhood to make space for adulthood. It’s the grasshopper shedding its old skin to grow one that fits better. It’s the stressful period of moving between your old house and a newer, better one. Transition is a natural and inevitable part of life, change, growth, and evolution.
If transition happens naturally all around us, why is it chaotic? Because of us – humans. We’re both victim and perpetrator in this story. It doesn’t have to be painful. The grasshopper doesn’t suffer when shedding its skin because it understands that growth demands letting go. It doesn’t resist change; it releases blueprints that no longer serve its evolution. Nature organically understands the cyclical process of change and transition. Humans don’t quite grasp it that way (yet).
Transition becomes a tremendous struggle because we cling too tightly to what has been, even when we know deep down that change is inevitable. There’s nothing wrong with attachments. We’re human – we bond, we hold onto what gives us comfort and safety, what we care for and love. Our attachments sustain us. The challenge comes when the comfort and intensity of our attachments prevents us from recognizing when it’s time for change, and when we refuse to let go because of our fear of change, actively resisting and obstructing it
Strong Attachments and the Emotional Roller-Coaster
Psychologist and spiritual teacher Ram Dass perfectly captured the challenge of our attachments: “A feeling of aversion or attachment to something is your clue that there’s work to be done.”
Many personal and organizational transitions I’ve led or experienced have been incredibly challenging, largely due to fierce attachments and deep fear of change. Even when people (myself included) were clearly unhappy, frustrated, and unable to thrive in the current state, we clung intensely to our attachments and the status quo, unwilling to give change a chance.
Over time, I came to understand that we hold tightest to what defines us – our identity, security, privilege, power, status, and love. Like a warm blanket or protective shield, these attachments feel comfortable and safe. That’s why anything threatening that safety creates such fear and anger, generating intense emotions when it’s time to let go and embrace change. We can expect the same resistance as a larger human collective during this stage, making Transition the hardest and most emotional of all three stages.
For some, those who have been holding on fiercely, refusing to recognize or prepare for change – the transition process may feel catastrophic. They may experience change through the five stages of grief: denial, anger, depression, bargaining, and acceptance. We’re already seeing this group entering denial and anger. They may also attempt to subvert change through restrictive, controlling, obstructive tactics – dynamics we’re witnessing in the collective sphere.
For others, the transition process may be exciting, cathartic, reinvigorating, and highly creative after generations of stagnation. This group carries the positive charge and momentum needed to push through difficulty.
A third group sees transition as an opportunity for tremendous service. They understand fear – particularly the fear of change – which will be invaluable to those struggling during these times. I’ll share more about this crucial group, the connectors and bridge-builders, and their vital role in our transition and transformation.
The Work Ahead – at the Center
Massive change and transformation is already upon us. We will all be impacted by this transitional period – individually and collectively, in small ways and large. The question is whether we pass through it consciously, ride the wild swings skillfully, and make our mark for the better – or ignore it, turn a blind eye, and experience maximum chaos as some attempt to control and repress what is meant to change.
For those who choose to pass through consciously with eyes wide open, the work lies in the center. This fluid, chaotic, high-potential center – our dynamic present moment – is where we find balance and equilibrium, where our creative energies hold the greatest power.
If we use this time wisely, our work in the center can build bridges, heal past wounds, and create new heart-based pathways between past and future for the benefit of all, especially future generations. Just as equilibrium and balance lie at the center, so does the core of who we truly are.
This era of transition reminds us that as we let go, make space for something new, and move forward, we have an opportunity to reconnect and realign with the core of who we’ve always wanted to be. That is the highest outcome of any transition – individual or collective. The next stage, Transformation, will demand that we answer for it.
Join me in upcoming posts as I explore the 6 critical areas I believe will be most impacted by transition and where we can continue the work ahead!
Critical Transitional Areas:
- The Era of Accountability
- The Evolving Individual and Collective
- Feminine Rising – A Tale of Balance
- The Past – A Reckoning with History
- Technology – Connection and Disconnection
- Earth – An Evolving Planet
Notes:
Image: Elena Mozhilo (Unsplash)
Pendulum Icon: Smashicon – Flaticon
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Heraclitus
