This "raw beginner" feeling can be especially uncomfortable if not aversive for people who have developed a solid niche of expertise and a successful identity. Such individuals may no longer want to return or regress to previous levels of "start up" vulnerability or anxiety. However, it is just this phenomenon that, several years back, had me admiring Michael Jordan, and not for his prowess on the court or in Haynes underwear. At the height of his basketball powers, Jordan pursued his longstanding dream of becoming a professional baseball player. Two catalytic events should be noted when examining his transition: the recent tragic death of Michael's father and his reaching some level of exhaustion, if not burnout, with basketball. Was the Stress Doc's Bjorn Bored Syndrome (BBS) operating? Does constantly pushing yourself and others to be top performers take a toll? How many times can you be the World Champion? When do all the repetitive practicing, constant traveling and unrelenting scheduling tarnish the glamour and even the gold? You know the BBS formula: When Mastery times Monotony provides and index of Misery!
And while Jordan basically struck out in his major league aspirations, still, he was not afraid to fail. In my mind, by risking his nigh invincible image, his "Airness" had reached new inspirational heights, even greater than his legendary high-flying and gravity-defying dunks.
And just to complete this digression, such dramatically disruptive life events that enveloped Michael -- the death of a loved one or job/career burnout -- often are the real and psychic turbulence needed for shaking up one's work-love-life puzzle.
Dynamics of Transition-Transformation
Returning to my work with the "Chiros," there were four key learning components to the "Transition-Transformation" program:
- Change and Stress -- recognizing the loss and grief stages in letting go of the familiar and grappling with an uncertain future; creatively managing transitional stress through team sharing and purposeful and playful group interaction
- Anger and Conflict -- understanding the "Four Faces of Anger" (email stressdoc@aol.com for my popular and potent model) and gaining communication skills for disarming interpersonal conflict
- Public Presentation -- becoming a more compelling public speaker; understanding the "Four 'P' Principles of Powerful Presentation (email for this thought-provoking model) and practicing being a healing and motivational humorist
- Creativity and Risk -- Identifying and developing characteristics and strategies for being a "creative risk-taker" (email for my series on "Creative Risk-Taking"); for example, the Doc's risk-taking mantra: "The only thing more dangerous than taking a big risk or taking no risk is taking a risk while minimizing the precarious reality of the situation!"