Dr. Stephen Lesavich
Listen to This Blog Post:
Human life is rarely defined by permanence. It is instead defined by change.
You do not live in static conditions. You live your life in dynamic conditions.
A career begins and ends. Relationships form and dissolve. Health changes. Beliefs evolve. Technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) disrupt industries.
You move through periods of uncertainty in the chaos of change before your life stabilizes into something new.
Between every significant “before” and “after” exists an interesting space: The “passage.”
A “passage” is the ambiguous space between two change events.
A “passage” is a psychological, emotional, intellectual, relational, and spiritual interval space between what was and what will become.
Unlike the events of change themselves, which are visible, measurable and definable, the “passage” is uncertain, fluid, and difficult to describe.
Yet the “passage” is often where your most important personal growth actually occurs.
Change events are observable transitions and include risk.
The internal experience created by these events is rarely immediate or linear.
The “passage” begins when an old structure no longer fully exists, but the new structure has not yet stabilized.
The “passage” is therefore not the state of the old reality, not yet the state of new reality, but the unstable in-between state connecting them.
Human cognition is optimized for pattern recognition and prediction. Stability allows individuals to conserve emotional and cognitive energy.
When a major change event occurs, the predictive model of reality temporarily breaks down.
One of the greatest misconceptions about change is the assumption that transitions occur in orderly stages and passages are clean and clear.
However, real “passages” are messy.
How can you use effective use “passages” when they your own life?
1. Recognize When You Are in a Passage
The first step is awareness. Many people experience “passages” without consciously identifying they are in a “passage” between two states of change in their own life. They interpret the emotional discomfort of a “passage” as confusion, failure, or lack of direction and a negative emotional state. However, a “passage” is actually a positive emotional state.
2. Treat the Passage as an Observation Period
Once you recognize you are in a “passage,” change your point of view to that of a neutral observer and look at the passage with discernment. Your emotional and behavioral responses during “passage” of an observation period reveal new truths hidden from you during stable periods in which you repeat old patterns in your life.
3. Use the Passage to Build a Realign Your Life
“Passages” create opportunities to realign the values, behavior, relationships, work, health, and purpose in your own life. You can transform your own identity, habits, patterns and personal and professional life trajectory during a “passage.” You can shift your base life state from reaction to intention. A passage also allows you redesign your own life arcs to achieve significant personal growth.
Becoming an Adaptive Leader can help you create a positive impact in your personal and professional life.
Out There on the Edge of Everything®…
Stephen Lesavich, PhD
Copyright © 2026 by Stephen Lesavich, PhD. All rights reserved.
Certified solution-focused life coach and experienced business coach.
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#personalgrowth #professionalgrowth
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