A masterclass on transition

On Saturday, I took a masterclass on transition.

The instructor was my dog.

We were walking in the park. It was a crisp fall day, the 1st of November, and the grass was covered in multicolored leaves.

This was a seasonal first, following high winds on Halloween night.

For my dog, it was a first ever.

Jeter’s a Southern California girl, born and until recently raised in Los Angeles, where romps through crunchy fall leaves aren’t really a thing. This is her first fall in New England.

About halfway through our walk, a strong wind gust created a tornado-like swirl of leaves that completely engulfed my little 10-pound pup. She jumped back in terror and looked up at me to gauge my fear factor.

I smiled and let her know it was okay, encouraging her to keep walking.

A few steps later, the wind kicked up again, bringing another wave of leaves across Jeter’s path. She stopped, this time firmly planting herself while watching the leaves spin and then fall to the ground.

Again, I reassured her and tugged the leash forward.

The next time the leaves took flight, Jeter spun around, stood on her hind legs, and started swatting at them with her front paws. She was now dancing with something that had previously terrified her.

This felt like a mini masterclass on how to transition gracefully, to move from one state to another without suffering.

For us humans, transitioning from fear to play tends to be a clumsier process. Or it never happens at all because either the fear part prevents us from trying or the play part takes too long to arrive.

Learning to navigate transitions without suffering is critical since we are constantly facing changing circumstances—at work, in our businesses, in our relationships, with our health, in the economy, in nature, everywhere.

When challenging or new circumstances occur, your ability to shift states will determine your experience. Adaptability is a powerful meta skill that allows you to make transitions with ease.

Instead of putting energy toward wishing change wasn’t happening or wishing it were unfolding differently, try focusing on the way you’re moving through the process.

Are you resisting or adapting?

What would make it feel more like play?

Can you learn to dance with the swirl?

Providence, RI
November 2025