One of my very best friends sold his business this week. He’s owned restaurants in Provincetown, Massachusetts for the last 20 years.

I am so proud and thrilled, and scared (you know, the good kind – excited/scared) for him. It’s going to be a big transition. He’s taking this summer to work for someone else while he figures out his next move.

I’m excited for the freedom he’s going to have, waiting tables at the Red Inn, and riding his bike home after a shift. He’s not going to have to do the books, fire the drunk chef, plunge the toilet, or one of the other million items on his endless to-do list.

But now that list is done.

It’s really over. He turned over the keys and deposited the check. And he made it happen. He decided, “This has to end.”

I feel the energy brimming, as this one big thing is coming to an end, he’s creating tremendous space for something new to begin. I know he’s scared and worried about his identity, yet I’m so proud of him for taking this leap.

I remember when I learned about an organizational change theory, the Bridges Model. It says something has to end before something new can begin. I remember being struck with the simplicity and truth of that.

My friend is investigating teaching English in Japan or moving to quiet house by a lake in Maine. He doesn’t have to figure it all out yet. He just needs to ride his bike to work, and then home along the windswept national seashore dunes.

I’m thrilled as he holds this ending, ripe with possibility in front of him like a juicy peach.

Can you relate?
What in your life has to come to an end, before something new can begin?

If you are a lawyer who wants more freedom, autonomy, and clarity about your next career steps, I would love to see if I could help you. Please reach out here.