“It is not the going out of port, but the coming in, that determines the success of the voyage.” Henry Ward Beecher
All around me, I hear stories over and over again of people’s lives undergoing big changes. Leaving jobs, relationships, places, habits that no longer serve them. We would think that something is in the water it has become so common place to hear “I left my spouse,” “I left the corporate world,” “I spoke up for myself” or “I moved to a new place.” It would seem that many are no longer “sucking it up” or “tolerating” the hand that is dealt. Many are standing strong and making the decision to quit and move towards new beginnings.
In numerology, 2017 was a 1 Universal Year that promised major changes, increased energy across the board on a worldwide scale, and new directions for many of us. Emboldened, no longer the victim, transition became the necessary path that followed. You would think the decision to make the move itself would be the hardest part. In reality, it is the follow up, the coming into yourself coupled with a fear of the unknown as we contemplate the what comes next that threatens to deter us. There is an energy that supports what NASA would refer to as our “escape velocity”- the final push needed to take us home that will thrust us effortlessly into a better more exciting and magical life. Do not give up, as long as we continue to stay the more enlightened course, it will happen.
All the strategic planning in the world won’t prepare us for the unfolding of the next part of our journey after the BIG move. There are certainly challenges that come with transition. All the feelings that arise, sadness, disappointment, anger and the like coupled with joy, excitement, and endless possibilities. It is the moving through and the trust in the process that will set for us a path where we will eventually go sane.
And a year of transformation it has been for me. I resigned in August of 2017 from a nearly 20 year career with the federal government as a prosecutor. I accomplished much there. Founding and unfolding a premier intern program where I had the distinct privilege to mentor and teach over 325 students as they sought guidance on their professional path. I established an outstanding reputation with the courts as I became an expert in immigration law, even setting out novel arguments where I was on the winning side of a published decision before the appellate courts. I trained many, even got certified as a Federal Law Enforcement Instructor. I detailed to Washington DC to handle legal comments on certain unorthodox policy. And, I made it a point to know my colleagues and opposing counsel and built incredible friendships. Even received special achievement awards for each and every year that I served in that capacity. So when it came to my attention that certain individuals would take credit for my work, or even stand in the way of my promotion opportunities, integrity and character being at the crux of my decision, I decided to leave and it was a decision that did not come lightly. Perhaps, I should have fought for the recognition that I deserved, but knowing the injustice of a governmental organization that leans towards favoritism even where it is clear that certain individuals were not worthy of the accolades, I chose to move my path in another direction. And when I did, the new management made it clear that I was disposable and my expertise would not be missed, even after all those years of dedication, distinguished hard work and loyalty.
I entered a period of discernment in 2017 where I had to face the fact that if I stayed, my talent would no longer be nurtured by the professional, or lack thereof, environment that I found myself in. From January on, by taking advantage of opportunities and paying attention to where I stood in the midst of them, I finished strong acknowledging that I would no longer allow others to take credit for my work, that I would not longer stay in a place that tempered my creative expression, and that I would no longer hold back, but speak my truth where it did not seem people were being honest, even if it meant that others would not approve. And yes, as I stood outside my office and symbolically closed the door to one chapter, ready to open up the next, I certainly felt all the emotions that would accompany this time of transition-sadness, anger, dejected, disillusioned. And most importantly, what did I have to show for the last 20 years of my life.
But when time passed and I shred documents, processed what just happened and the dust settled, the excitement of the endless possibilities that I knew were lining up for me came to light. A creative reemergence had taken hold where I started to own my ambition, live with passion again and stand true in my own authenticity, using my very powerful voice in a way that I would not be able to had I stayed. It is a process I needed to go through, not easy in the least, as I stand on the precipice of a new trip around the sun. As I step into my year of empowerment, I honor the past, get excited about the future and stand confidently in the present. Empowered is the place from which I allow myself to become more fully and blossom into the next phase, getting out of the way only to let the universe do its thing. Going to love this journey as I am grateful for having survived what has happened and the courage to walk through the transition, breathing easier, and expecting magic and miracles in my life because I did not let the challenge take away from my excitement. Never giving up, let ‘s come into this next port strong, therein lies the success! And if you want to follow the fun of my next trip around the sun, sign up for emails and away we go!
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My Year of Transformation: the Challenges and Excitement of Transition was originally published on Meg Nocero