You’re Not Lost - You’re Learning a New Language

For anyone navigating change and wondering where they went.

Transitions have a funny way of making us feel unrecognizable to ourselves.

Maybe your job title just disappeared, and with it, your sense of direction.

Maybe the kids who needed you every second now barely need you at all.

Maybe you’re standing at the edge of retirement wondering who you are without the routine you’ve known for decades.

Maybe your relationship is entering a new chapter, and you’re unsure what “we” or “I” looks like now.

If you’re in one of these seasons or something else that’s in-between - you’re not alone.

You’re just learning a new language.

The Disorientation Is Real

Change, especially change we didn’t fully choose, can feel like being dropped into a new country without a map or translator. You once felt confident, capable, and sure of who you were. Now? You second-guess everything.

You might catch yourself saying:

• “I don’t feel like myself.”

• “I should have this figured out by now.”

• “Why am I reacting like this?”
  

The truth? It’s not a flaw in you. It’s the natural confusion that comes with transition.

But that doesn’t mean you have to stay there.

DISC: A Map Back to You

One of the most helpful tools I’ve found, personally and professionally, is the DISC personality profile. Not because it boxes people in, but because it opens people up to understanding themselves with more compassion.

DISC helps us understand:

• How we prefer to make decisions

• What we need to feel safe and supported

• How we tend to respond under stress or change

And during seasons of transition, those insights can feel like oxygen.

For example:

• If you’re someone who thrives on results (High D), a sudden pause can feel like failure.

• If you value connection and collaboration (High I), transition can feel lonely or isolating, especially if you’re navigating relational change.

• If you crave stability and harmony (High S), the unknown can be paralyzing.

• If you rely on clarity and structure (High C), the messiness of change can feel unbearable.
  

Sound familiar?

DISC doesn’t fix your situation, but it helps you name what’s happening. And sometimes, that’s the first step to feeling grounded again.

You’re Still You, Even If You Feel Different

In transition, our strengths don’t disappear… they just get quiet. Or misdirected. Or temporarily buried under uncertainty.

But they’re still there.

You haven’t lost yourself. You’re becoming a version of yourself you haven’t met yet.

This season isn’t asking you to perform, it’s asking you to pause. To listen. To reconnect. And to speak to yourself in a new way. A kinder way.

You’re not too late. You’re not off track. You’re not falling apart.

You’re just learning a new language.

If This Resonates…

I’d love to invite you to explore DISC with me.

This week, I’ll be sharing a short presentation for individuals going through job transitions (Join me Monday at One Million Opportunities) and I’m also working with parents, professionals, and newly retired (or newly redefined) individuals who are walking through their own in-between seasons.

If you’re feeling a little lost, let’s talk.

Not about “fixing” anything, but about understanding what’s already there, tinkering a bit and becoming the next best version of ourselves.

Because once you can name it, you can begin to navigate it.

And that’s where real transformation starts.