Life’s beginnings start with the Crossroad. This is a time when you stand at a decision point. You are dissatisfied. It could be because of internal rumblings. You are bored, underperforming in your job or yearning to enter your dream field. Or, you could be at a Crossroad because of external circumstances. You don’t like the people you work with; your job has overtaken your life or you’ve just relocated and need to start all over again. And, it can be personal; a rotten relationship, an illness or family responsibilities.
Usually Crossroad are difficult. You feel lost, stuck, anxious or angry. If you are in a job you don’t like, you ride a roller coaster, accepting your fate one day and then fighting to leave the next. You feel behind in life, thinking most people have it together while you wonder what the hell you are supposed to be doing with your life. The unknowns swirl in your head, keeping you awake at night. You complain about your situation to anyone who will listen.
Guess what, you are normal. Yep, Crossroads happen. When you are in the middle of one, it’s common for you to feel like you are failing or crazy. You are not, you are hitting a brick wall designed to catalyze you to the next chapter in your life. The ups and downs of the Crossroad are polishing the gem that is you. The more you struggle, the more you grow.
As Dr. Michael Bernard Beckwith says, “the pain pushes you until the vision pulls you.” If you know you are in a Crossroad, you can move through it with some modicum of grace. Decide you are going to move forward, no knowing where or how. You choose to get unstuck. You face your fears and take control of your life. In this brave moment, your anxiety softens. You step into your power. The first red arrow on the Elevate Career Cycle is no longer ruling your life. You move into strategic action, Introspection.