Often the changes in your life come from your basic need requirements; you may need to change where you live, your job, and/or your life circumstances to ensure your continued survival. Those basic changes will inevitably necessitate many other changes in order to completely carry you into your new situation. On the other hand, the “call” may be your inner voice telling you it’s time to change, meaning that you are ready to move to a different level, a different place than the one in which you’re currently situated. This movement, or “call” for change, can be on any level—physical, emotional, psychological, and/or spiritual.

Transition is a vehicle, a conscious catalyst (you’re making a decision) to set a desired goal in motion. Some of the changes we often make are small, representing little shifts in our daily life. These are necessary and often important but may not represent the monumental changes we may choose to make in the way we live our life. I use the terms “change” and “transition” interchangeably but I like the idea of transition somewhat better for these bigger changes because it implies the act of moving through something.

There are times when you can’t make change. For example, change may prove too disruptive to your life, or it may be non-negotiable with significant others, or there may be restrictive financial considerations. But if and when the opportunity and desire to make a big change in your life arises, and the path is clear for you to do so, you can make a conscious decision, taking the necessary time and effort to attend to what you really want to achieve in your life. It’s more than a big change, it’s a movement across time and space that takes you from here to there, from before to after.

When making big change it’s okay to be afraid. In fact, it’s healthy. For many people, fear paralyzes them, rendering them incapable of making any movement at all. People often avoid making change because they worry they will be wrong and/or make a mistake that will complicate their life or make it worse. Fear of the unknown is actually completely rational. In fact, without it we would be rushing into places we should not go. Rational fear allows us to cautiously explore what we have little or no idea about so that we can make careful and sound decisions about how to best proceed.

– Abigail Brenner M.D.

Read more: 5 Key Points to Help You Change Your Life

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