Liminal Living: Reflections on Rediscovery and Empowerment

It’s been quiet on my LinkedIn page the past few months, but over the years I’ve published reflections in honor of International Women’s Day and I wanted to continue the tradition (apologies I’m a little late).

Amid the pandemic, discussions on the "Great Resignation" and the escalating burnout among executive women captivated headlines. Statistics on the rate at which senior level women left the workforce went viral. McKinsey called it “The Great Breakup”, and I understood because in 2023, I became one of the statistics.?

It had simply become too much - demands at work, demands at home, a life that wasn’t my own. Until the pandemic. A forcing mechanism that gave me greater clarity about what I wanted out of life, who I wanted in my life and how I wanted to live life. While stepping away from the executive ranks was difficult given the love I had for my team and the work we accomplished together, it was necessary.?

Since leaving, I have enjoyed time with family, time in nature and time to consider my next chapter. This liminal phase has been liberating though comes with many challenges. Serious contemplation is a formidable task, especially when one’s brain is accustomed to perpetual motion. As an executive who thrived on stimuli, slowing down wasn’t part of my ethos and here I stood - at a standstill.?

Questions raced like cars on the Autobahn: What is my purpose? Who do I want to be? What should I do in the back half of life? What do I want to see, do and accomplish in my next phase? I’ve been down one rabbit hole after another with a barrage of questions.?

As it turns out, I am not alone. “Liminal” is pretty popular these days. For those who haven’t heard the term, liminal comes from the latin word for “threshold” and is often described as a phase of transition, or the space between one destination and the next.?

Its popularity surge is evident in the numbers. ?Over the past five years, the relative Google search volume for “liminal” has surged by more than 3x. The New York Times has employed the term in 55 of the outlet’s articles in the past year, and last week, it was the outlet’s “word of the day”. My husband would tell you it’s been my word of the day for several months.?

My liminal phase has led to a kaleidoscope of experiments including cooking, learning the guitar, supporting a local floral designer, consulting for a dear solopreneur friend, studying beginner neuroscience, adopting more holistic health practices and more. After all, how can you develop concrete answers to so many questions without trying a few things on for size??

I don’t know that women experience liminal phases any more than men, at least I haven’t found much research indicating as much. So you may be asking, “Meredith, what do your ramblings have to do with Women’s History Month?”

Perhaps not much on the surface, but tales of some of the world's most successful women reveal a shared experience of liminal phases. Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama, Elizabeth Gilbert, Brene Brown, Jane Austin, Rosa Parks, and others turned to curiosity, reflection, knowledge, vulnerability, advocacy and giving back to cross their own thresholds, enriching women's collective ability to navigate liminality.

In the past, care and support for women undergoing liminal phases were scarce. Complex journeys, akin to those of Sylvia Plath and Virginia Woolf, yielded greatness but often ended in ridicule, hospitalization, or worse, suicide.

Today, liminality continues to breed amazing feats of creativity. Just consider the progress spurred by uncertain times ... digital and educational transformations in the wake of the pandemic, renewable energy innovation driven by climate change awareness, and transformative health and wellness offerings stemming from shifts in preventive medicine. They are all a testament to the power of liminality.

And fortunately, the price of individual liminal phases is less severe than in the past. Increased acceptance of vulnerability in the workplace, greater attention and benefits investments on well-being and the emergence of human-centered leadership sparks hope for the future.?

Conversations around embracing change, overcoming challenges, and finding meaning in the midst of uncertainty must continue. In an ambition-obsessed culture such dialogue can fall by the wayside, but they are the keys to liberating today's executive women and empowering those dwelling on the thresholds between past and future.?

So if you find yourself in a liminal phase, consider this an invitation. I am not a coach, but like Lucy in Peanuts, my office is open. Anyone is welcome for free and candid conversations about navigating liminality. Let us be liminal together, paving the way forward for all those who will one day face liminal phases of their own.