Challenges were coming at me from every direction.

They say if one or more situations in your life are changing then you are in a transition. Let's count how many things changed for me that year.

The year was 2013 and here are some of the things that happened, not in any particular order:

• I was leaving my corporate career after 27 years resulting in a large reduction in income
• I was starting a business called Spirit Drops and I was becoming a coach
• I had major surgery because of an obstruction in my ureter
• Paul broke his hand and completely unrelated, he also had eye surgery for a semi-detached retina
• Our daughter became pregnant and moved back home

Hmm, only five challenges but they were psychological, financial, physical, mental, and emotional.

Plus there was a major change in my identity leaving corporate and striking out on my own. I experienced quite a learning curve with fear and uncertainty looming large in my mind.

When health challenges hit the family at the same time as I'm leaving my job, plus I was trying to figure out how to start a business. At the time, the obstacles felt overwhelming.

I was looking to my heart to see if I was moving in the right direction and it seemed like the hurdles were too high.

But little by small, I felt the growth as I had a series of small successes and with the love and support of friends and family, I kept on moving forward and dealing with one issue at a time.

I'm sure you've had years like this. Like the year we were hit with the Pandemic.

In 2020, I had several important speaking gigs canceled on me and about 50 classes on my schedule were also canceled. But since the challenges were hitting everyone, everywhere, all at once, I didn't dwell on "poor me."

It was funny (NOT) that I launched my first online course on March 16, 2020. Crickets. No one was interested.

I read in the NYT yesterday that the worldwide death toll from Covid was somewhere around 40 million! It was a time of grief, fear, anger and powerlessness for many of us.

There was certainly a loss of income, but somehow I managed to thrive during this time. I redefined my definition of success.

The point is that Life is always throwing us curve balls and sometimes we are thrust into a transition when we least expect it.

It's not easy navigating when life seems turned around and upside down but there are many tools that we use to help us be more resilient.

And when you embrace a transition period, you can experience a personal transformation.

The main difference between a transition and a transformation lies in the scope and depth of change:

• Transition: A transition typically refers to situational changes. Like moving from one state, phase or condition to another. It may involve an adjustment to circumstances, routines, roles or your environment. While these changes can be significant they often do not alter the core aspect of your identity or life trajectory.
• Transformation: A transformation on the other hand, involves a more profound change. It goes beyond surface-level adjustments and can result in a fundamental shift in your character or identity. A transformation can reshape your beliefs, values, behaviors, and perspectives on life. These shifts can lead to a new state of mind or condition which could be remarkably different from the previous one.

Therefore, if you'd like to reinvent yourself at work or in a new relationship or in a new place, you can use transitions to transform and shift your perspective and identity. When you do that, you can disrupt lifelong negative patterns and create something new and amazing!

Are you currently in a transition? Are you looking for a transformation? Write down all the things you would like to change in your life and note what you think you have control over.

Then get on my calendar for a complimentary Discovery Call and let's talk about the gap between where you are now and where you would like to be.

When we meet, I'll give you my best advice from my own transformation experiences (1985, 2002, 2013 & 2020) and witnessing hundreds of others transform using personal growth tools. I can show you how.

Your imagined new life could be real. Don't let fear or anything stop you.

You were not among the 40 million who left the planet in the past 4 years. You are here and still have a chance if you take steps towards your dreams.

Hope to see you soon,

Maureen