The word “liminal” comes from the Latin root, limen, which means “threshold.” The liminal space is the “crossing over” space – a space where you have left something behind, yet you are not yet fully in something else.
I’ve spent my career working with individuals in the liminal zone; that in-between space that is not fully defined. It’s an uncomfortable place for a time; uncertain, raw, and morphing into new form. It’s become a familiar concept in 2020 as we face the pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement, and political transition. It’s a time of questioning of what has been, what is now, and what might be, for all of us. It’s messy, chaotic, and ripe with uncertainty. It’s also the foundation for transformation.
Most transitions have periods of profound grappling and discomfort. Transformation comes from our willingness to move forward through our discomfort. It’s been said that when one door closes, another door opens, but the hallway can be hell. Most all of us can relate to that feeling right now.
I’ve seen in my work how liminal space can bring about a curiosity about how we’re showing up in our lives. I’ve seen how the uncertainty creates an openness for a different approach. It’s an opportunity to holistically listen; to others, the universe, and ourselves.
Our individual and collective liminal space is ripe for imagining and creating a fresh alternative. As much as it may feel like fallow time, opportunity exists for each of us to plant the seeds for something new.
Take it With You Today
“...if we can choose to experience this liminal space and time, this uncomfortable now, as . . . a place and state of creativity, of construction and deconstruction, choice and transformation. I wonder whether it (might be an) invitation for us to lay down our fears and discomfort to see what else is there, hard as that may be. . .” -Richard Rohr