The Space Between

No, I’m not talking about a Dave Matthews song, but that is a good song. I’m talking about the space between where you were and where you will be. The space between letting go and grabbing on to something new. The space between jumping and landing. The space between has a technical term; liminal space.

Two months ago I made the decision to step into the space between. I left a comfortable career to transition into a position of leadership development, a job I ultimately created for myself. In the process I am amazed at the people who have come out of the woodwork with one specific question, “How did you do it?”

It took me some time to figure out the question was not about technical details. People didn’t want to know how I set up my LLC, what bank I decided to work with or who set up the framework of my website. Ultimately, they were asking how I broke through the force field of fear that naturally surrounds us when we are on the brink of walking down a new path. I don’t have a very clear answer to that question. I can say I thought about the decision at a deep soul level and then I realized I couldn’t grab on to something great while I was still holding on to something good. I had to let go. I had to leap. I needed to hurl myself into the unknown toward something new.

I also believed that if I were to let go there would be a net to catch me. I believed this because I’ve helped to create that net. My life has been rooted in creating a better world by developing better people and I believe those same people will be the net that catches me if this new venture isn’t meant to be.

So how’s it going? Well, right now I am still in the space between. I made the decision to let go and I am flying through liminal space. There are moments when I catch a glimpse of my feet flying above my head. I haven’t landed yet, there is no “you are here” sign, no compass to be found and I am loving it. The view from here is great. The people in liminal space are amazing.

You should join us, but you’ll have to let go, you’ll have to leap, you’ll have to step into the unknown.

Psst, hey, down here… guess what… the people here in liminal space are saying there is no net, they are claiming it is a trampoline. I think they might be right….