Transition: The State of Change

The 11th edition of Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines transition as:

a: passage from one state, stage, subject, or place to another : CHANGE
b: a movement, development, or evolution from one form, stage, or style to another

I suppose that at any time, most of us are in a state of some sort of transition, whether it is due to a loss of job or another significantly life altering event. Gone are the days when you could work for 30-years at an 8-5 job with ½ hour lunch and 2 15-minute breaks. Gone are the days when you can count on a pension from your life-long employer. And maybe the days to count on Social Security being there to support us through our retirement will soon be gone as well.

Transition is a time to take stock of ourselves; to inventory our strengths and weaknesses and fervently seek the blessing and direction of the Author of our lives and pathway. It’s time to seek a new vector in life; to discover what really makes us happy and find a way to support ourselves doing it.

As I look back at my 25-year career in Information Technology and the years I spent in Emergency Medical Services prior to that, I count myself among the blessed. Sure, things haven’t been easy, but over the years, I’ve worked in professions that made me happy and provided a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. The greatest satisfaction comes from knowing that I’ve performed to the best of my ability serving the needs of others. It makes me happiest when I exceed the expectations of my constituents.

So what now? Maybe it’s time to walk away from Information Technology and seek new windows of opportunity. With my broad experience and deep knowledge, I won’t be happy with any position less than a VP or an office in the C-Level suite. I’ve held both titles in the past and know full well how to do those jobs competently.

I’ve always been interested in real estate. I started taking a course to obtain my license in the state of Connecticut the last time I was in transition due to a job loss. I got about half way through when I landed a job in Raleigh, NC. Locating to Raleigh from Waterford, CT was one of the biggest transitions my family ever endured. We sure don’t want to go through that again if we can avoid it. Perhaps I can take a course again, finish it this time and pursue that avenue.

This past week I had the pleasure of meeting Annmarie, the Broker-in-Charge of the Garner, NC Coldwell Banker office. Annmarie really knows her stuff and absolutely radiates integrity. We talked for about an hour about the real estate profession in NC. I learned a lot and am praying about whether to go to school or not. I can earn my provisional broker’s license in six weeks. It may very well be possible that my wife and I can work together at this as a team.

There’s also the book. Even though I’m writing, I am not motivated to really buckle down and focus on it full time until I hear something definitive from the publisher. And then there’s ministry. There isn’t anything in life that gives me greater satisfaction than helping others. Ever since I met Pastor Paul Zeron in Bayonne, NJ when I owned the Bayonne Computer Center, I’ve been serving in ministry. I’ve taken on many roles: Deacon, Church Treasurer, Worship Leader, Adult Bible Class Teacher, Discipler and from time to time provided pulpit supply as a Preacher/Evangelist. My wife I perform regularly with the Friends in Christ Singers as part of the outreach ministry of Friendship Baptist Church in Raleigh. Within the past week we’ve been asked to perform a concert for a neighborhood party in May and in the fall to open for a popular Gospel group, the Daybreak Quartet. There are still a few details that need to be worked out about the fall concert, but if it happens, I promise you’ll hear about it first.

The only thing I’m definite about is the uncertainty in that I don’t know where I’m headed. But with the irons I have in the fire, I am confident the Lord is blessing.