NOT transitioning well…

Transitions are tough. Few transition well. As I reflected on Tay and his coaches example from yesterday, I was awakened to the norm this morning. The vast majority of humanity does not transition well. Few transition well from poverty to wealth. As Solomon once said, “A fool and their money quickly part ways.”

Few transition well. Few.

Few transition well through the seasons of life. Few transition well when they hand over the reins to another, even another family member. Few transition well when they’re simply left to themselves. Few, it turns out, can handle the responsibility that comes with freedom. Few can be trusted when left alone or when in a mob. Few transition well from the crowded client dinner to their empty hotel room. Few transition well from the quiet conviction of their chapel to the crowded streets of their city. Few transition well. Few.

You see, transitions take a lot of energy. The best transitions are planned and the decisions are pre-loaded before the adversity arrives. Whether you’re facing a transition in your work or your life the best medicine you can take is to think about where you might stumble and pre-load your response.

You are your own worst enemy. You. Your best bet to avoid a career ending move or a marriage ending one, is to honestly assess your weaknesses and plan, in advance of the adversity, how you want to respond. Remember, it’s a slow slippery slope from Facebook flirting to a fling in a faraway place. Your best bet to avoid the slide into the abyss is bright boundaries around your weakness. When you think about this you know this is true. The problem is, however, when it’s late, when you’re tired, when you’re weak, when you’re depressed, and when you’re overwhelmed, is not the right time to muster up the willpower, is it. Nope, it’s not. In fact, this is when most well intending humans buckle. Want to transition better?

Plan in advance of adversity. Give your brain some bright boundaries so it doesn’t have to look for ’em. Pre-load your response. And, ask God for help. Humility helps and so does He…