I get to meet some fascinating people. Victor was introduced to me through a friend in Brisbane who thought it would be advantageous for us both to meet up. She wasn’t wrong.

In my lounge room, listening to him talk about his journey was intriguing, including working on TV shows in Australia like Young Talent Time, Beyond 2000, shows in the US, theatre, a decade as a modern day monk, living in poverty, through several burn outs, doing his PhD at 62 and now an author, academic and researcher.

We talked about the sometimes painful transitions we have had to make in life and what lies on the other side of those of those seemingly crushing times. Suddenly he jumped to his feet and began to recite a poem he’d written. It wasn’t just a recitation it was a performance; animated and with a voice rich in expression and emotion. A simple poem but with a profound message that I’ve never forgotten and shared with others who have found transitions in life uncomfortable or difficult.

The poem began:

‘Inside an egg a chicken grows and grows. So soon, that shell has lost its power to shelter, now a prison tight become.  The growth of life itself puts pressure on that shell inside, insists it give way. crack!  split!  wide open, release the life within.’

Have you found yourself in the situation where you feel enormously pressured? The old structures that used to be so comfortable and secure no longer provide that for you. You may even feel like something is about to crack. What is it that life is doing to you? What is going on?

The poem continued:

‘For little chick perhaps that birth’s a death, worlds collapsing, all hell breaking loose.’

For us to transition into greater things in life there must be a death. The old giving way to the new. It’s often unpleasant and at times traumatic, but still a necessary process if ever we are to grow. Maybe you are in one of those situations now or can look back and see how true this principle is. Not knowing what is on the other side is often what holds us back. The fear of the unknown. We would prefer to remain secure in the known.

Victor was coming to a dramatic conclusion I could tell:

‘But big mother hen awaits, clucks comfort and encouragement and after  weeks of warmth invites the chick into a wider world, knows where grubs are caught, water drunk and grain to fill the gullet, a sun to warm and stretch and  COCK-A-DOODLE in….. if we would just emerge!’

Emerge from the known and comfortable to what? Whether it is your career, the company you work for, the business you have or the relationship that needs to end, real life and growth always means transitions. Remember how difficult at times it was being a teenager? They say that a teenager is an adult in transition. Some get stuck and remain emotionally stunted, unable to take on the responsibilities of adulthood and the privileges it brings.

In the time of transition, remember these things:

1. Life is never static – only death.
2. Don’t resist change – or you’ll remain rigid and stunted.
3. Look for options as to what might be on the other side – think possibilities. You’ve been given an imagination to create.
4. Have faith – trust, believe and expect that this experience will only take you on to bigger and better things.
5. The famous saying ‘this too shall pass’

 If you want to hear an interview with Victor Marsh on ABC Radio National Life Matters you can do so here

Going through a life transition? Having a coach who is non-judgemental, has no agenda and can be an objective sounding board certainly helps make the transition smoother. I offer a no obligation, complimentary, one hour consultation to explore this option.

Please Note: I have successfully coached clients in the many parts of the world  and all over Australia either on the phone , via the internet (Skype etc.) and  face to face for people in Sydney. Face to face or using other forms of communication, clients always get the same life-changing results. Your privacy is always respected and strict confidentiality assured.