I have stepped into a different role and a different routine for eight days. And honestly, it is somethings that I’ve looked forward to. I’m grateful for the opportunity, and I’m especially grateful that I’ll get to spend time with some really awesome people. There is something exciting about stepping outside of your normal routine and experiencing something new. But I also know that different is different. Even when we are excited about a transition, it can still come with challenges. I’ve been given instructions and a schedule to help guide me through these eight days. I have some idea of what to expect, but I also know there will be things I encounter that I have never done before. I’ve already had to learn and navigate things that are unfamiliar to me. And that has reminded me of something important about life transitions: You can be grateful for a transition and still find it challenging. We sometimes assume that if we are excited about something new, it should feel easy. Bu...
Purpose is the sense of meaning and direction that comes from living in alignment with what matters most to you—your values, relationships, gifts, experiences, and the way you want to contribute in this season of life. Purpose answers questions like: What matters to me? Why does what I do matter? How do I want to show up in the world? Who do I want to become? What do I want my life to contribute? Purpose can change its expression across seasons. Your purpose doesn't necessarily disappear when you leave a job, retire, experience a loss, change careers, or step away from a ministry. The role through which you expressed purpose may change. For example, someone may have spent years expressing purpose through caring for others professionally. When that role ends, they may wonder, “If I'm not doing that anymore, what am I here for?” The transition becomes an opportunity to explore how the same values—compassion, connection, service, growth—might be expressed differently. Purpose is...