Some of you may be looking at the picture and wondering why in the world would I choose this picture of a hallway? It looks scary and dark. And others may look at it and see the rays of sun shining through and see all the hope and possibilities. That’s why. Every hallway between doors has a little bit of both – hope and uncertainty.
Let’s unpack the first part of your hallway – the closed door. So, the door has closed behind you – you are now in the hallway, heading to the new door and there is no way you can go back and re-open it. Now what? It can be scary, uncertain, hopeful, exciting, or all of the above. And how you feel can change from moment to moment. Why do I point out the obvious? To remind us all that this is ok – we need to give ourselves some grace and space to go through all the emotions that come with changing doors. Here are some tips for this part of your journey:
- Take some time to reflect on what you learned and what you will take with you.
- Give yourself grace if your emotions change and evolve on your path to the new door.
- Celebrate successes.
- Ask yourself if there is anything you want to “leave behind” or want to do differently going forward.
- Take time to mourn the closure of that chapter in your life – something has ended. Even if it was a beautiful adventure, it is an end – give yourself time to mourn.
- Don’t isolate yourself – stay connected to others.