The Sweet and Painful Transitions of Life
Undergoing transitions is part and parcel of humanity. Human beings have to go through different kinds of transitions, which can be both positive and negative.
Types of Transitions
There are generally three types of transitions, which can either be positive or negative;
- Personal
- Physical
- External
A good example of a positive personal transition is when you stop playing video games all day and begin doing something more productive with your time. On the other hand, a negative personal transition is when you start doing drugs due to depression, idleness, peer pressure or any other reason.
When it comes to physical transitions, these types of transitions are simply inevitable, entailing the changes that occur in our bodies as we continue to live. Transitions from childhood to teenhood, teenhood to adulthood, and adulthood to old age are all great examples of physical transitions.
Finally, external transitions are simply the transitions that we witness within our environments. These environments include our homes, schools, neighborhoods, work places, worship venues, etc.
Like other types of transitions, external transitions can be both positive and negative. An example of a positive external transition is when an organization replaces a bad boss with a good one who respects employees and values their input. On the other hand, a negative transition is, for instance, when a sports team goes from good to bad in terms of performance. You can say Manchester United are currently going through a negative transition after being relegated from the Premier League.
Why We Hate Life’s Transitions
Human beings are naturally “anti-change”, making anything to do with that an unwelcome phenomenon. We hate going through life’s transitions for many reasons, including but not limited to the following:
- They disrupt our normal lives.
- They come with too many uncertainties.
- They get us out of our comfort zones.
Why We Should Welcome Positive and Negative Transitions
- They help us unlock the potentials we never knew we had.
- They help us improve in life. In fact, Winston Churchill once said: “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.”
- Negative transitions not only worsen our lives, they improve them too.
Making the Best Out of Every Unpleasant Transition that Life Throws at You
Everything happens for a reason so is every transition that we face, whether negative or positive. No matter how intrusive your transition is, it is imperative that you embrace it and start figuring out how to make the best out of it.
You do not have to quit your job just because your company has merged with another company, which you swore to never work for due to their horrible human resource policies. The right thing you can do is to adjust to the new situation and avoid getting in trouble even as you systematically look for greener pastures.
As you can see, even a negative transition can change your life in a positive way. For instance, without a negative transition in your organization, you may be too comfortable with your current position and not bother to look for greener pastures elsewhere!
Professional Psychotherapy Services for Transition Related Issues
If you have a hard time coping with an unsolicited transition that life has thrown at you, seeking professional psychotherapy services is the best course of action. From young and middle age to old age, trained therapists help persons of various ages overcome their transition problems, using proven psychotherapy techniques.
By Errole
