A Transition Can Be Real Before Its Meaning Is Clear

In stories about change, we often reach for a neat sentence: “I left because…” or “I’m becoming…” But a transition can be real before its meaning is settled.

A useful thought experiment: describe one change in two lines. First, write what you can point to—what ended, began, or shifted. Then write what you think it might mean, with room to revise that meaning later.

The first line gives you something grounded. The second lets imagination do its work without pretending to be evidence. Growth doesn’t always require a final interpretation; sometimes it starts with finding words you can stand behind for now.