Navigating the liminal spaces...and learning to love them.

Recently, a sweet friend of mine and thought leader in the corporate well-being space, Jen Fisher, published a post on LinkedIn about leading through uncertainty that was insightful as usual. In that post, she mentioned a term I hadn't heard in a long while: "liminal moments."

I don't know if it was the timing in a chaotic week, the timing in our business year, the season of life I find myself in right now, or what I had for breakfast that morning, but the term stopped me in my tracks. And since then, it's whispered to me several times throughout the day, every day, asking me to pay attention. So, I did. And, wow.

Liminal moments…liminal space defines my “right now”…and I want to unpack it with you (bear with me on this one…I'm still smack in the middle of this space, but this feels valuable enough to share “in processing” as 2024 quickly draws to a close for us all (sidebar: wasn't it just Halloween?!).

Google says the definition of liminal space is a transitional state between what is and what will be, or between where you've been and where you're going. It's that sacred space between moments, or seasons, or that breath you take before taking a leap of faith. Liminal moments are the “in betweens" of life.

Liminal space might feel like a dead zone of sorts where nothing is happening. But - and be patient with me - I think it's exactly the opposite, which is why, I think, it can't be ignored or pushed off until it's passed.

The term liminal space reminds me of another term called an ecotone from the environmental sciences world, which describes a region of transition between two biological communities, or where two totally different landscapes join together (think of a field of wildflowers bordering a forest; the mangroves reaching the sand on a beach; an estuary where salt and freshwater meet; you get the idea.?

The interesting part is, ecotones are far from lifeless - in fact, they're very special because they are much richer in wildlife than the ecosystems on either side of it. We learn a lot from ecotones - they are positively full of life…and so are the liminal moments of our lives.

Are you facing a liminal moment in some area of life?

As a new year approaches, we're all in a sense in liminal space. For so many of us, in fact, the week between Christmas and New Year's IS by definition liminal space! We're neither here nor there, floating in between two major holidays on a sugar cookie and eggnog high and trying our best to find pockets of rest amidst all the hustle and bustle of our “down time” from work (ha).

Here's my point.?

I realized in reading Jen's article that I find myself in a bit of a liminal moment in my life, and without sharing more, I want to capitalize on what that means. This is not dead space; it is full of life in fact, and I cannot squander this beautiful gift. This is an opportunity for me to really pause, listen, and reflect on what's next.

How I'm taking action on this is:

• I'm listening more (to me, and to the VIPs I trust with my heart) and talking less.
• I'm journaling more than usual.
• I'm praying more often - little micro prayers throughout the day.
• I'm honoring my body's response to this weird, floating mental space. It's asking for a bit more sleep, less screen time, less alcohol, and more walks without noise (podcasts, music, etc.).
• More boundaries around social activities and husband-time. Aka, giving less of myself and taking a bit more “me/us” time.
• I am walking away more often from thinking about it at all (letting my brain do what it does best when you walk away from a problem: helps to solve it…thanks Default Mode Network).

The reason I wanted to share is in case anyone reading this is experiencing their own liminal moment(s) right now. There are so many ways this can be experienced:

• Your job or role is transitioning, or you feel pulled to do something different. Maybe you took on a new role, project, team, or your org is cutting budgets/people and you're being asked to do more with less (this is happening with so many right now). Maybe you feel like you need a change all together.
• You're in a relationship transition with a loved one or family member, or friend.
• You're feeling lost and unsure of a big decision on your plate.
• You're stuck between a few different workout programs or feel like your body needs a change up.
• You're in some other physical, mental, or emotional transition.
• You're setting goals for 2025, or you've set goals and you're in the “in between” phase, prepping for Jan 1.

Whatever it is you're facing, I hope this idea of liminal space and liminal moments resonates. And if it does, I hope one or more of the above suggestions for how to move through it helps.?

Final Thoughts

I guess the point I'm trying to make is this: this is a very important space. Don't ignore it; don't avoid it; and don't be scared of it. This is your personal ecotone - it's full of life, opportunity, and plays an integral role in you living a thriving, purposeful life.?

Thank you for being a part of my world, and I wish you a restful, restorative, and beautiful holiday season. See you in 2025!