Transitions: Making Sense of Life's Changes

by William Bridges

The subject of this book is the difficult process of letting go of an old situation, of suffering the confusing nowhere of in-betweenness, and of launching forth again in a new situation. Because those three phases are going to be so critical to what we are discussing, let me reiterate: All transitions are composed of (1) an ending, (2) a neutral zone, and (3) a new beginning. Drawing on modern research into adult development, I’ll give you some useful ways of thinking about why transition occurs when it does. Recognizing that every lifetime has its own unique rhythm, Transitions provides the tools for identifying a personal developmental chronology. Cutting through the particulars of specific changes, the book identifies transition’s characteristic impact on work and relationships. Finally, it provides concrete ways for people to help themselves deal constructively with times of transition.