We live in a time of transition. Social change is swirling like a righteous cyclones throughout our society, bringing social justice, massive disparities and a whirlwind of destruction, transition, and ultimately, transformation everywhere, affecting everyone all the time.
Lots has been lost through these times. Job security disappeared for many of us, and along with it economic certainty, ongoing professional development, and benefits like retirement and healthcare. We’ve been stripped of the crystalline certainties of the middle class, including home ownership, higher education, and savings. Some of us struggle to put food on the table and pay rent, while others hustle to keep their mortgages and car payments going.
How can we find meaning when its all stripped away? What do we do when it feels like everything is lost, like we’re drowning in hopelessness and we need something more than mere survival?
Learning How to Sustain Ourselves
Throughout my career, I’ve been teaching low-income youth, youth of color, rural and urban youth, and the adults who support them. I’ve found their passion, courage and determination to be simultaneously exhilarating and frustrating. Its exhilarating because of the ambition of youth; its frustrating because of the inability of adults to change their lives.
Worn down, beaten down, and otherwise held down throughout our lives, all kinds of parents, youth workers, teachers, counselors, and others are running low on juice right now. Its frustrating because nobody is teaching these essential warriors of truth and justice how to survive their professions.
About five years ago, I began facilitating self-sustainability workshops. Working with schools, youth programs, national organizations and at conferences across the nation, all kinds of adults and youth have been teaching me how they take care of themselves, how they support others, and what they do along the way. I’ve been collecting lessons from these workshops, and I want to share some of my learnings here.
3 Ways to Find Meaning During Life Transitions
3 Ways to Find Meaning
Following are three ways I’ve been taught to find meaning in transitions.
- NAME YOUR STRENGTHS. When the world knocks us down and takes things away, its important to acknowledge the abilities we have within ourselves. These things can’t be taken away. When you name your strengths, don’t be vague or ambiguous; name specific, accountable realities. Make a simple list, draw a complicated mindmap, or just talk it over with yourself. If you’re a planner, you’d better name planning as a strength; artists, poets, builders, parenting, learning, advocating, driving and gardening all count, along with any specific skill you have. Knowledge counts too, so account for your professional knowledge, your personal hobbies and your downtime activities, too.
- DRAW IN SUPPORT. If you’re struggling in life, bring your supports together from the world around you. Those can be people, places, activities and other assets throughout your life. Again, you can write them down, brainstorm images or do whatever works. In some way though, account for the supports in your life, including books, heroes, family, friends and whatever else helps you get strong and stay that way. Then, when you’re feeling the most low and vulnerable, be grateful for those supports. Go through your list and say thanks for everything you’ve drawn in, whether in person, over the internet, on the phone or simply by yourself. Don’t just name them; name them and then thank them.
- TAKE ACTION. The temptation to remain still, be complacent and simply react to the situations we face can be overwhelming at times. However, once you’ve completed the first two steps here, you must must take action! Look at the abilities and capacities you personal have from step one, then match them to the supports you’ve identified in the world around you from step two. If a clear pathway isn’t automatically obvious, you have to clear out the fog from in front of your eyes and concentrate your vision. Do you even have a vision? Name one. Do you see the next steps? Take them. Do you need to name the next steps? Write them down. Make timelines, create plans, match the resources you already have and find the meaning in your life right now.
These three ways to find meaning in transitions. Whether you’re changing jobs, changing houses, changing yourself or changing the world, you can always use these three steps to take care of you, lift yourself up and make a difference in your own life. I hope you share your thoughts about them in the comments below.
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Adam F.C. Fletcher 