M
aggie Jade is a
policy writer and
communications
student from Queensland
who enjoys giving impromptu
tours of her new hometown to
obliging friends and relatives.
She shares a little of what she’s
learnt about transitions.
Six steps for surviving,
and thriving,
during transitions.
You learn a lot about yourself at your
21st birthday party. Just when all the
baby pictures have been put away, the
music fades and you nervously wait
for your friends take centre stage ...
ready to reveal a little-known fact or
two about the real you. Fortunately, I
got off pretty easy that night ... not too
many skeletons in my ultra-organised
closet. Along with jests about my
supernatural spring-cleaning abilities
came a welcome reminder about my
fascination with places I’d never been
and experiences I’d never had.
My interest in the unknown could be
explained by the fact that my life up
until that point had been lived in the
same house, on the same pocket of
farmland. As grateful as I was for the
safe haven that my childhood home
(literally among the gum trees) offered, I
was keen to discover what was waiting
for me beyond its familiar borders.
The moment I’d been waiting for came
soon enough. After graduating from uni
I was all packed and on my way to a city
I’d never seen. What amazed me most
was how smoothly the wheels were set
in motion. There were no lightning bolt
signs or restless nights of indecision
– it was simply an open door, with no
reason for me to ignore it or try to pull it
shut. Invitation accepted!
When we treat every opportunity as
an invitation to stretch ourselves, we
create space in our hearts for change
and give ourselves room to grow into
the great plans God has for us.
Something remarkable happens when
we take that first step on an unfamiliar
path, something delightfully childlike
and exciting — we reignite our sense of
wonder at the world, and everything in
it that is greater than ourselves.
resonate · issue 26 · page 4
But this doesn’t mean that we should
overlook the finer details along the way,
or expect life to go on as normal when
we arrive at the next stop on our map.
Whatever the shift may be — leaving
home, changing careers, starting uni
— there are plenty of things we can do
to engage with the process, to reorient
ourselves to God and make the most of
what He has placed within our reach.
Here are my six steps for surviving, and
thriving, in a transition:
create room
To really immerse yourself in a new
environment or lifestyle, you need to
live lightly and freely. If your calendar
is brimming with social obligations —
give yourself permission to be selective
about what networks you want to
invest in. If your rock-climbing gear will
just end up in storage for the next few
years – sell it or give it away. The cost
of keeping the excess may far outweigh
the loss of letting it go. Think of it as
an investment in your present – a
commitment to create room for another
adventure. You won’t look back.
invest in the moment
To truly thrive in a new season and
settle in quickly, you need to be freed
up financially to enjoy the journey.
Avoid being so budget-conscious that
you can’t treat yourself to the priceless
experiences that will make you cherish
the change (like a trip to the theatre
or an art class). Factor in ͽ