Next Chapter
What was the last book that you read that you really enjoyed? What made the book so enjoyable for you? Was it the subject matter? Was it the style of the author to present their ideas? Perhaps the story took you to a far away place, away from your current environment.
I know one characteristic I hear readers discuss when they speak of a book they love, is they have a difficult time putting it down. They can’t wait until they get to the “next chapter”, to see how the story moves forward, or if there are twists and turns in an upcoming chapter that have yet to emerge. When truly engrossed in what they are reading, they are open to all possibilities.
When you are around those whose life is “in transition” as much as I am, you find that often where one’s life heads next, is no where near it was when you first met them. Usually when I initially meet individuals who have just entered a transitory point in their life, it is not uncommon to find them confused, frustrated, angry about being rejected and often looking to strongly hold on to what they had most recent in their life. These are very understandable human emotions. Many I meet go through these emotions for a considerable period of time.
Then one day you remake contact and you know that something has changed. There is excitement in their voice. They have seen an opportunity which while nothing like anything they have spoken about previously, aligns very well with whom they are and their past talents, their beliefs and passions. At first they me seem a little hesitant about pursuing the opportunity. There is even a need to feel to justify it verbally to those they meet. However, the more they pursue, the more the idea takes hold as something they want to be the next step in their life. They have turned the page and moved onto “the next chapter.”
My profession and training has also taught me that one cannot tell someone to just move on, or even suggest something different that they may want to try. A listener can be encouraging, can put out there positive open ended questions that lets the other see that there is little to risk by exploring and learning more about their new area of interest. However, it is the one who is ready to take that step into the next pages of their life who must make that decision.
As one who has made changes in his life and opened up entirely new chapters for myself, I know it is always possible for someone to do. It is so encouraging to me, when I see those whom I get to know, whether they are clients, networking partners, members of job support groups, friends or family members discover that reality for themselves. Ultimately the common characteristics I find for many on this path are time to heal from past hurts and wounds, a willingness to slowly but surely explore opportunities, and then a reaching out to others to learn more about the new area of interest. Once making that decision to commit to the new course, while there are sometimes feelings of doubt, there are also feelings of relief and contentment for having made the choice. What is that “next chapter” in your life? How willing are you to “turn the page” and find out how it will all turn out?
