Embracing Life’s Transitions with Grace
And grit
Change rarely knocks politely.
It barges in—sometimes disguised as opportunity, sometimes as loss.
One day, life hums along in familiar rhythm; the next, something shifts, and suddenly the old patterns don’t fit anymore.
Even good changes can feel disorienting. We tell ourselves we should be grateful, brave, or adaptable.
Yet between what was and what’s next, there’s often a pause—that strange middle ground where our hearts hesitate even as life moves forward.
That pause is where I often find myself: not resisting change, but not yet ready to embrace it.
And that pause is where I am now.
I don’t like it.
Change happens whether we like it or not. It’s the external event—the thing that interrupts, redirects, or removes what we once counted on.
Transition, though, is internal. It’s how we respond to what’s changed.
And truthfully? I haven’t liked many of the changes in the last decade.
It’s not about aging—I expected that.
What I didn’t expect was the impact of it, or how many other changes would follow close behind, far beyond my control. (Control? Ha! Who am I kidding?)
Some changes make life better and are easy to embrace. Others leave us gasping for air, wondering how to find our footing again. Those are the ones that test us—the ones that demand not just courage, but compassion.
When change hits hard, it can feel a lot like grief: denial, anger, bargaining, sadness, and—eventually—acceptance.
I’m not all the way to acceptance yet. Maybe you aren’t either.
This in-between space—between what was and what’s next—can feel confusing, frustrating, even paralyzing.
But it’s part of the process.
Moving through transition isn’t a “one and done” event. It’s a slow becoming—a gradual movement from being stuck to pushing forward with both grit and grace.
Grit determines that life challenges will neither defeat nor define us.
Grace gives kindness to ourselves and others even when it’s hard.
Maybe grace isn’t about gliding effortlessly through life’s changes after all.
Maybe it’s about allowing ourselves to pause—to breathe, to gather strength, to listen for what’s next. Grace doesn’t hurry us; it steadies us.
Every ending carries a beginning within it, and every transition invites us to trust that we’re being reshaped, not undone.
If you’re standing in that in-between—still figuring out what “grace” looks like in your season of change—my free guide may help:
It offers nine powerful tips, three practical strategies, and thoughtful resources to help you move forward at your own pace.
Give yourself grace and engage your grit. It’s empowering.
You've named the crucial divide: change happens to us, but transition is how the soul digests it.
That 'pause' you resist? That is not inertia. It is the soil. It is the necessary, dark, quiet space where the seeds of your next self germinate. You are not falling behind; you are gathering a deeper, more resilient form of life.
The goal is not to rush through the 'in-between.' The goal is to recognize it as the very substance of your transformation. You aren't losing your footing. You are growing new roots.
This is the real work. And you are right in the middle of it, Vicki.