Emerge.

Ari Weinzweig on managing transitions ...

As hard as it can feel to be in transition, it’s also the time that, close to the edge, we can be at our most creative and most connected. William Bridges says, “It is when we are in transition that we are most completely alive.” It’s an understanding that’s essential to effective self-management: leaning into transitions can help us lead more meaningful lives. As poet Nikki Giovanni reminds us, “A lot of people resist transition and therefore never allow themselves to enjoy who they are. Embrace the change, no matter what it is; once you do, you can learn about the new world you’re in and take advantage of it.”

With this understanding in mind, it struck me last month that in the way we give everyone at Zingerman’s 100 percent responsibility for themselves in asking them to think and act like a leader, perhaps the most powerful application of Bridges' work would be to share it widely with everyone before a big change begins. In the process, we will be teaching people valuable life skills. Not just how to “endure” or push through a painful change, but also how to live a good life. Philosopher Henri Bergson said, “To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly.” Understanding transition, helps us make that happen. The pain and discomfort we all deal with around loss (both large and small), the anxiety of assimilating changes (many of which we didn’t want, and some we dreaded), and learning to get to the other side where positive things can emerge from difficulty, is a big part of what it takes to live a good life.