Beyond The Threshold

We cross a threshold when we experience a life event, such as a medical diagnosis, retirement, moving
away from parents, graduation;  when we realize that an intimate relationship is full of hurt or anger
and that there is a wish to do something about it; or, that a pandemic or a social movement has
upended our sense of equilibrium and we are urged to stay put or to follow a call to action.   

Crossing a threshold leads us to a place of uncertainty, a place with fewer landmarks of familiarity and
a clear path.  Beyond a threshold, we also enter a space where because we do not have our familiar
bearings, and our path is not quite what we thought it was, possibilities we had not imagined can
emerge.  Some have said that this in-between place, the place that precedes what is to come, is full of
endless possibilities.  

Because this place beyond the threshold is a place of not-knowing, we must find ways to stay grounded,
such with new routines/rituals, boundary creation, or practices that allow us to live in the moment such
as meditative breathing and physical activity.  Allowing ourselves to feel and seek to understand our
fears, acknowledge untapped strengths, and recognize that we are not alone can help lead us through
this time beyond the threshold and to recognize that even when the path is unclear, there are
footholds.

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R. Beresford, Ph.D.