Doorways & Transitions

I participate in a weekly photography group (thank you, Bella!). This week's theme is doorways; I'm intrigued and fascinated by doorways. Doors and windows have lovely lines, textures, and reflections. They're visually interesting. As a photographer and a viewer, I'm drawn to them. But it's not just the visual--it's something deeper. Doors can represent choices, freedom, adventure, new views; alternatively, they can represent blockage or confinement. It depends on how you view the door.

Reaction to transition can be the same: excitement or dread. So doors and transitions are on my mind. Personally, I'm transitioning from summer-mode to fall-mode. This involves not only a movement in natural seasons, but a movement in the pace of my life. A new academic year begins and my daily schedule is packed; this in stark contrast to the flexibility in my summer days.

Often I face this transition with some dread. The dread story goes like this: I have no choices or freedom; the fun ends; how can I maintain the life I've so authentically crafted while being so busy? I must resign myself to the daily grind and give up all creativity. But this is just a story in my head--really, it's not true. (See my previous posts on doubt stories and unhappiness stories.) 

What's really true? My schedule does change, but I always have choices. The transition requires endurance and initially I'm quite tired, which is a lovely reminder to take good care of myself. Each school year is another doorway of opportunity--in fact, many doorways. Places where I can try new things, experiment, create, and connect. This flips the switch from dread to excitement. Yet how quickly the dread story forms in my mind--each year I work with it. (Interestingly, I also work with the summer's-here-so-now-life-is-perfect story at each academic year end. The reaction is excitement, but the "story" is that life is now wrapped up and everything is perfect. Nope. Difficulty still happens in summer.)

As with all of life, mindfulness helps. My simple intention for this week: be very mindful of the transition--all parts of the transition. What doorways are actually open when my story perceives them as closed?