We’re in Austin, Texas helping our son and his girlfriend move from one apartment to another, and right now they’re in between. Similarly, these last few weeks of 2023 can help you intentionally navigate the liminal spaces you’re moving through. So let’s talk transitions.

The word “liminal” comes from the Latin word, limen, meaning “threshold.” It’s defined as “at or occupying both sides of a boundary.” These can be physical spaces such as the edge of a forest or a hallway. And they’re also transitions of life or career, or physical and emotional states.

Liminal spaces are often associated with foreboding and fear, yet they’re also places of curiosity and excitement. How you engage with these spaces informs your perspective and determines, in large part, how well you move through transitions.

Right now you’re between places. Between the bulk of this year and the beginning of the next. Between your past identity, and who you’re now becoming. Between what used to be important (and now matters less) and the undeniable necessity of what’s next.

Just as you don’t want to live your whole life in the hallway, we should move on from liminal states and places. Step into the next room. Explore. Learn. Build. Introduce yourself to the unknown. You’re both excited and nervous. Act anyway. And the moment you do, the anxiety begins to dissipate, as the morning sun burns off the mist.

Neither this year or this phase of your life or career can go on indefinitely. So move confidently into the transition now and continuously, and you’ll come to realize… you actually do live in the hallway.  So until next week, embrace your liminal spaces, and stay Off Balance On Purpose.

LISTEN TO THE AUDIO.