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🔄 Mastering Liminal Spaces: Growth Through Transition
Published 19 days ago • 6 min read
Hey Reader,
Welcome back to Living Better—your ultimate guide to a happier, healthier, and more meaningful life.
Have you ever found yourself caught between what was and what’s next, feeling both uncertainty and possibility?
This is the essence of The Liminal Space—a powerful concept in anthropology used to describe the transformative stages in rituals and life transitions.
Today, we’ll look at how embracing these periods of ambiguity can catalyze profound personal growth.
Liminality occurs during transitions: leaving a job, moving to a new city, ending a relationship, or any phase where the past has ended but the future hasn’t fully taken shape. This space is often uncomfortable and filled with uncertainty, yet rich with the potential for transformation.
In traditional societies, liminal phases are integral to rites of passage, marking the transition from one role to another—think of rituals for retirement, marriage, or kingship. In our modern lives, though these transitions might lack ceremonial recognition, they are no less significant.
➣ Why Liminal Spaces Matter
Fosters Creativity: Without the constraints of the old or the new, liminal spaces allow for unprecedented creativity and new perspectives.
Encourages Self-Reflection: They force us to look inward, evaluate our values, and decide who we want to be in our next chapter of life.
Builds Resilience: Navigating through uncertainty strengthens adaptability, teaching us to thrive in change rather than fear it.
Quote
"What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from."
- T.S. Eliot
Strategies For Navigating Liminality
Embrace Uncertainty: Rather than resisting ambiguity, welcome it as a catalyst for growth. Use this time to explore new ideas and hobbies without the pressure of immediate commitment.
Set Intentional Goals: While the old is gone and the new hasn’t yet appeared, set goals based on your introspection. What truly matters to you now? Let this vision guide your transformation.
Maintain Rituals: Create personal rituals to give structure to your days. Whether it’s morning meditation, regular exercise, or journaling, rituals can anchor you amid change.
Seek Support: Surround yourself with people who support your growth. Often, those who have navigated their own liminal spaces can provide guidance and reassurance.
Document The Journey: Keep a journal or blog about your experiences. Writing not only helps to clarify your thoughts, but also marks your progress.
Your Liminal Action Plan
This week, identify a liminal space in your own life. Are you between jobs, relationships, or perhaps cities?
Take one small step to embrace this phase by writing down three things you hope to learn or achieve before this transition concludes.
Liminal periods, while challenging, are the workshops where the new self is forged. As you learn to navigate these thresholds, not only will you grow, but you will gain tools to help you through future transitions.
POLL: What transition in life are you currently going through?
Dive into heartwarming stories and inspiring journeys from fellow Living Better members!
This week, we're highlighting Ashley's sweet story:
"Find you a friend who leaves out the towel. Who knows the first thing you’re going to want to do after a long day of working two jobs and driving an hour to see her is take a shower. So she leaves out the towel.
Find you a friend who leaves out the blow dryer. Who knows because you’re going somewhere and not staying in the house, you’re going to want to blow dry it because your hair looks like a rat's nest if you don’t. So she leaves out the blow dryer, too.
Find you a friend who you want to join for everyday errands and motherly duties. Because these days, that’s the only time you get with them. Trips to Walmart for weekly grocery shopping and accompanying her to her daughter’s tumbling practice is the only way to see her sometimes, so you are 1000000% in!
Find you a friend that when she (or her husband while y’all are away) makes dinner and sets out things we need, she automatically sets out the salt and says, 'For you.' Who knows you just put it on everything before you even try it.
Find you that friend who knows those little things about you without you reminding them. Sometimes you’ll need them more than you know.
Sometimes all those little things being shown at once can brighten your day more than you will ever imagine."
Designer, bestselling author, and founder of the School of Joy. I help people find more joy in life and work through design. Join more than 45,000 readers who receive our weekly treasure trove of science-backed tips, delightful discoveries, and inspiration for living a better life.
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Remember, every ending is a new beginning, and every liminal space is an opportunity to reshape your life. Let's step into the unknown together, with curiosity and courage, ready for what’s next.
Your ultimate guide for captivating personal stories, actionable insights, and evidence-backed advice, propelling you toward a meaningful life. Join our community of 200,000+ readers!
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