Transformational change and identity shifts

Transformational change and identity shifts are moving through the collective right now. 

These are the deep questions of ‘who am I’ and ‘why am I here’. This is the deer in the headlights feeling that something radical is changing within. 

Sometimes these show up as dark nights of the soul. Sometimes these show up as an existential crisis.

They are needed. Our heart and our soul are aching to change. But these can be hard, painful, and disorienting and, right now, are happening with breath-taking speed. 

Identity shifts can cause us to fall out of sync with longstanding relationships. Jobs may no longer feel like a good fit. Favorite hobbies may no longer interest us.

We can be tempted to play it safe. To not rock the boat. To color inside the lines. To wait until tomorrow or next week or whenever it looks like it will be easier to start, with fewer distractions, and more guaranteed to be successful.

But with each step that takes us closer to our essence, purpose, and more authentic nature, our heart and soul are celebrating. Because what can feel like loss to our human self is a return to our purpose and our reason for being. 

We are worthy of being the person we came here to be. We are worthy of living the life of our purpose. 

As our path changes, we need to allow ourselves to change. We need to allow others to change. 

We need to find ‘our people’ - those whose hearts are on the same journey and who share our language. Yesterday, in a class I was teaching, I was reminded of this short poem by Shel Silverstein: 
She had blue skin,
And so did he.
He kept it hid
And so did she.
They searched for blue
Their whole life through,
Then passed right by -
And never knew.

​Sometimes, finding our people means we need to be a little bit brave and step a little bit out of our comfort zone.