Does the holiday season stress you out? Are you anxious about perceived slights, resentments and tensions surfacing during this special time? Are you worried about money, of not being able to afford the gifts your loved ones have on their lists? Are you waiting in line to pick up “something” to be wrapped at the last minute so everyone has “something” to open under the tree? Does the materialism of Christmas make you cringe?

Are you betwixt and between? Also called the Messy Middle and Liminal space.

I am not patient with myself. When I was in the period of liminality, in the space between what I used to be, my old persona, and what I am transforming to be, I was frustrated. I just wanted to be over it. Let me be the butterfly that soars from the chrysalis – now! But I learned that I could not take the elevator to a new life. I had to take the stairs, the steps. And it would take time, maybe a very long time.

Over the holidays, my husband and I watched Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary. I’d been hearing the term Yacht Rock over the past couple of years and really didn’t understand what it was – now I do. The Dockumentary chronicles the rise of soft-rock in the 1970s and its unlikely reevaluation over the past decade, with profiles of key artists from the genre, such as Michael McDonald, Steely Dan, Kenny Loggins, Toto, and Christopher Cross.

Being in Liminal Space makes you feel like you are not on solid ground, yet you are learning more about yourself through introspection, assessments and journaling. How about trying something new – an experiment. That way, you get into action and learn even more about what works and doesn’t work for you. Just do it.

I am not patient with myself. I am in this period of liminality, in the space between what I used to be, my old persona, and what I am transforming to be. Sometimes I just want to be over it. Let me be the butterfly that soars from the chrysalis. But I have learned that I cannot take the elevator to a new life. I have to take the stairs, the steps.

First published in 1939, in the wake of the Great Depression, this is a lovely, illustrated children’s story about Mike Mulligan and his beautiful red steam shovel Mary Anne. They work very hard digging canals for the big boats to travel through, cuts roads through the large mountains so trains can pass, and deep basements for the great skyscrapers in the city. It is also a story about how to re-invent yourself in a new industry or era.

Imagine being so talented that you went directly from high school to your leadership position or chosen career. KG, as we called him, was the first high school kid drafted directly into the NBA in 20 years and whenever he could, he thanked his coach for always believing in him and teaching him how to improve his skills.