Navigating Liminal Space
“Honor the space between no longer and not yet.” – Nancy Levin
Ah, the liminal space. That place between where you’ve been and where you’re going. Where you’re not who you were, but you’re not yet who you’re becoming. Yeah. Super fun.
Father Richard Rohr described liminal space perfectly in his newsletter recently:
“Liminal space is an inner state and sometimes an outer situation where we can begin to think and act in new ways. It is where we are betwixt and between, having left one room or stage of life but not yet entered the next. We usually enter liminal space when our former way of being is challenged or changed – perhaps when we lose a job or a loved one, during illness, at the birth of a child, or a major relocation. It is a graced time, but often does not feel “graced” in any way. In such space, we are not certain or in control. This global pandemic we now face is an example of an immense, collective liminal space. This in-between place is free of illusions and false payoffs. It invites us to discover and live from broader perspectives and with much deeper seeing.”
In the fall, I wrote on social media about being in the liminal space myself. I was feeling called to something that I hadn’t quite pinned down. An idea was forming, but hadn’t yet been fleshed out. Not knowing what the next steps were honestly felt really unsettling and confusing.
And yet…
As I opened up and surrendered to less hustle and more flow, to expand into and accept the unfamiliar, things began to naturally fall into place. When I stopped forcing things and leaned into the unknown with intention and trust, peace came and the path started to make itself clear.
“Transformation happens when you’re not in charge.” -Alan Seale
All cultures have rite of passage ceremonies to mark transitions – graduations, weddings, baptisms, funerals to name a few. But there are a multitude of other ways that transitions happen that are not always marked by ceremony. Moving, retirement, starting or leaving a job, beginning or ending a relationship.
BEING IN A GLOBAL PANDEMIC!!!
We are in a massive, collective liminal space right now with the COVID-19 pandemic and it has many of us feeling emotionally unstable, feeling like there’s no way we can go back to the way things were before, but unsure of the best path forward from here. The future is unknown and we may feel stuck in the in-between (and in our houses!!!).
The beautiful thing about this space of liminality is the incredible realm of possibilities it makes available to you. It is here that we discover the next iteration of our lives. This is where we level up and elevate our game. Where we experience our own transformation and evolution.
Regardless of the change you’re going through, there is always a period of emotional limbo that requires us to surrender and approach with awareness and intentionality.
P.S. Those two things – awareness and intentionality – will help you through pretty much everything in life!
When we feel most comfortable being in control, and the liminal space brings all of our fears about who we are, how we show up in the world, our strengths and vulnerabilities; it’s the surrender – the willingness to be shaken out of our day-to-day habits – that allows us to be reborn into the greatest version of ourselves.
It’s okay to not have all the answers. Continue being patient and open; to hold this liminal space as sacred. For it is in this stillness that that we are truly open to transformation.
