Do any of these questions sound familiar to you?
How do I know when I am ready for the next level? When is it time to pivot or change my career? What unconscious beliefs are making me stay in environments that I have outgrown? How do I know it’s time to leave the marriage, the organization, or the faith tradition? When is the right time to start a business or accept a promotion?
As a coach and minister, I am frequently asked these questions when people sense or are experiencing transitions in their lives.
My response: Your life always gives you critical clues when change is coming. ALWAYS!
The clues may be subtle, but they are there. Trust me; when it’s time to go to the next level, the winds of change will gently whisper in your ear, urging you toward your next adventure.
So what are the clues? (I share more in the Dare To Soar Podcast. Click here to listen.)
In 25 years of working with leaders who inspire, change-makers who care, and folks who want to live fulfilling lives, I have identified three critical clues that indicate you are growing, changing, or elevating to new heights.
Being Sharpened: One unmistakable clue you are growing or elevating is feeling as if you are being sharpened. What does being sharpened feel like? It feels like developing a heightened proficiency in doing something, feeling something, or saying something.
Most of my clients say feeling sharpened also feels like elevated discernment that helps them create plans, predict outcomes, and detect hidden motives.
So, pay attention to your life. Notice if you have become more laser-focused, are taking more risks, or are questioning old narratives. Notice where you are spending your time and if you are hanging out in different circles.
Remember, sharpening is subtle and gradual and can be painful. And….sharpening in your personal life could prepare YOU for elevation in professional life and vice versa.
Being Strengthened: I know none of us likes to struggle, but strength comes from struggle. When we are forced to deal with rejection, overcome oppression, and endure hardships, we develop the spiritual, emotional, social, and mental muscles WE NEED to soar.
Why is developing those muscles essential? Stronger muscles help you fight bigger battles. And once you can withstand attacks and still ascend, you will become unstoppable.
So, pay attention to what’s challenging you and how you are responding to the challenge. You may just be positioning and preparing yourself for a beautiful new chapter in your life.
Being Sifted: Here is the hard part: growing and elevating requires some shedding and pruning. Why? Sifting involves sorting through and removing the old to make space for the new. So, when you find yourself being sifted— letting go or being let go— know that you are growing and elevating.
Remember, sifting is a refinement process. It’s a process of separating what is essential from what hinders progress. And even though it can be painful and lonely, being sifted is an indispensable, unavoidable step in the growth and elevation journey.
As the late Dr. Maya Angelou wisely said, “We delight in the beauty of the butterfly but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.”
Sharpened, strengthened, sifted—all powerful clues that your life is changing. So, which clue is showing up in your life that will help YOU achieve beauty and fulfillment? Please reply to this message and let me know. I would love to hear from you.
I share more about the clues in our community podcast.
It’s time for you to SOAR Higher, and I am excited to see what the future holds for you.
Blessings!
SharRon
