Life is a series of transitions and transformations, often bringing us to phases where we feel like we’re neither here nor there. This “in between” period can be perplexing, but it’s also ripe with potential for growth. Drawing insights from a recent episode of the “Own Your Awesome” podcast with Miranda Von Frickin’, this post delves into navigating these uncertain times with grace and intention.

Understanding the “In Between” Phase

Miranda Von Frickin’, host of the “Own Your Awesome” podcast, likens the “in between” phase to Britney Spears’ famous line, “not a girl, not yet a woman.” While it may sound light-hearted, feeling stuck between who you are and where you’re going is a universal experience. Whether you’re transitioning between careers, personal goals, or life stages, the “in between” can feel disconcerting and exhilarating. Miranda eloquently captures this essence through her own journey as she navigates shifts in her business and personal life.

Embracing Change: Miranda’s Journey

Miranda opens up about her transition from career coaching to life coaching and beyond. Starting as a career coach at a college, she found immense joy in helping students connect with job opportunities through mock interviews, resume writing, and LinkedIn profile setup. This phase defined nearly a decade of her professional life.

However, multiple layoffs and a growing internal calling led Miranda to evolve into life coaching. She recognized that while career aspects are important, much of our professional fulfillment stems from our overall life satisfaction—relationships, habits, environment, and energy. She felt distinctly “in between” career coaching and life coaching, navigating the discomfort yet understanding this transition was necessary for growth.

The Present In Between

Currently, Miranda feels another transition approaching but isn’t quite sure what it encompasses. She remains excited and anticipative, knowing that being “in between” is a precursor to new, extraordinary phases. Her story serves as a valuable reminder that while we may not always know what’s next, maintaining faith and openness can guide us through.

Tips for Navigating the “In Between”

Miranda offers transformative advice for those navigating their own in between phases. Her strategies are designed to foster clarity and open-mindedness, helping you embrace the uncertainty with confidence.

1. Get Quiet

The first step to understanding your in between phase is to get quiet. Whether through prayer, meditation, or grounding—walking barefoot on the earth can be particularly therapeutic—quieting your mind allows you to hear your inner voice. This introspection can reveal insights about your next steps.

2. Be Open

Open-mindedness is crucial when you’re in transition. Holding too tight to what was or what you think should be can hinder potential growth. Embrace possibilities, even those that seem out of left field. An open heart and mind can lead to unexpected and fulfilling avenues.

3. Continue Being Yourself

Lastly, keep being you. When uncertainty makes you anxious, returning to your authentic self can ground you. Engage in activities that bring you joy, maintain your optimism, and surround yourself with supportive people. Sometimes, rekindling old hobbies or passions can inject new energy and ideas into your life.

Embracing the Uncertainty

Miranda’s insights remind us that being “in between” is not merely a holding pattern but a critical phase of growth and discovery. It’s about getting comfortable with being uncomfortable, and finding confidence in uncertainty.

When you lean into who you truly are and remain receptive to new directions, you prepare yourself for whatever lies ahead. Each step, however small or unclear, is part of a journey that will ultimately lead you to where you’re meant to be. As Miranda aptly puts it, “Own your awesome in the uncertain times because the next best thing is on its way.”

Conclusion: Owning Your Awesome in Transition

In summary, the “in between” phase is an integral part of growth. By adopting Miranda’s strategies of getting quiet, being open, and staying true to yourself, you can navigate this transitional period with grace and anticipation. Embrace the uncertainty and own your awesome—exciting things are just around the corner.

Transcript:

Miranda [00:00:01]:
Hello. Hello. And welcome back to another episode of Own Your Awesome. I’m your host, Miranda Von Frickin’. Today, we’re gonna dive into what I call the in between. If you’re connected to me on LinkedIn or Instagram, you saw me post something a few weeks ago about feeling like I’m in between two things. I’m not so sure what the two things were, but I kinda summed it up as who I am and where I’m going. Right? Very high level.

Miranda [00:00:33]:
Have you ever felt that way before? Have you ever felt, as Britney Spears would call it, not a girl, not yet a woman? Just kidding. I’m all woman. However, sometimes I feel like when we’re on the cusp of something amazing, there’s this weird in between feeling where we’re not sure what it is, but we know it’s coming. So I’m gonna do a few things. 1, I’m gonna go play the lottery because if I know I’m meant to be rich. So if it comes through the lottery, I’m gonna need a ticket. And I maybe I suggest y’all grab 1 too, especially if you happen to feel in between as well. So a few things that I’ve been really feeling lately, is what’s been happening in my business, the launch of this new podcast, and how extremely exciting and how well received it has been.

Miranda [00:01:29]:
Thank you for all the DMs, the emails, the the comments, the love and support, the I already got a few reviews, so that’s exciting. I feel like something awesome is I’m on the cusp. I’m on the edge of something awesome. And maybe it’s the podcast or maybe it’s just because I finally said yes to starting this podcast when a few people and things have been holding me back. Nothing malicious or anything, just based on limiting beliefs, based on what they thought their experience was and and potentially what mine could be. But I allowed that to happen. So when I said yes to myself and started this show, I ultimately put myself, what I think is in the beginning of the in between. What’s happening next in our business, in our life, in our family, like, in our body? Like, there are goals we have for ourselves, but we don’t typically act on them because we’re so stuck to the things we’ve already set out and accomplished.

Miranda [00:02:31]:
Right? So let’s use we’ll use my business for example because I don’t know who’s listening. I know I’ve got some entrepreneurs, some 9 to fivers, some stay at home mamas listening. So I’ll just use me as an example. So I am a LinkedIn strategist, personal branding, as well as a life and business coach. So I do a few different things. I started as a career coach. As most of you may know, if you’ve ever scrolled down on my LinkedIn, you’ll see that I was a career coach at a college. My passion was helping connect students to job opportunities, and I did everything that that entailed.

Miranda [00:03:10]:
Right? Mock interviews, resumes, setting up LinkedIn profiles. I mean, this was back in, like, the early 2000. 2007 through, like, 2013, I was all about career coaching, and so resumes were my jam. So when I became an entrepreneur, one of the first things I did besides speaking and coaching was writing resumes. Now, it’s funny. I don’t often talk about writing resumes because it’s no longer a part of what I do. I do have people I can refer you to. So if you ever need 1, feel free to DM me.

Miranda [00:03:44]:
However, it’s something that I transitioned out of because I got more into LinkedIn, personal branding, and coaching for entrepreneurs. So there was this weird in between when I felt like I was no longer doing my best work as a career coach and a resume writer, and it was transitioning into something different, Still helping those in need, still helping to transform lives, still helping people to, you know, find their calling and really live it out. But it wasn’t through the career side of of the experience. It wasn’t helping you to be the best 9 to fiver. I think that’s because I was on the cusp of no longer being a 9 to fiver. I had been laid off for the first time, in 2015, And I had been doing career coaching and all that good stuff up until that time and a little bit even after, because it kinda paid the bills in the meantime in between jobs. But once I realized, ultimately, after 3 more layoffs and some more side hustle resume writing career coaching, that I no longer felt called to that 9 to 5 existence. So writing resumes and helping other people to live their best 9 to 5 life just wasn’t on my heart anymore.

Miranda [00:05:06]:
So what was? So I ended up doing, more of the life coaching. In order to find your best career fit, you really gotta figure out a little bit of life stuff. Right? Like, the relationships that you’re in, the people you surround yourself with, the habits that you have, the environment and energy that fuels everything around you, and your actions. So I got certified as a life coach. And when I started doing that, it made it gave me a taste of what was to come. I didn’t quite know if I was going to be a life coach. I knew it had been on my heart for a little bit, but the career coaching was still what was making me money. So after the layoffs and eventually, you know, feeling called and pulled towards the life coaching side of my business, I started saying no to resumes.

Miranda [00:05:58]:
And it felt really uncomfortable, And so, it put me in an in between, right between a career coach and a life coach. And although some could say, why didn’t you just do both? And sometimes I did, depending on who I was working with. I never felt completely aligned as the career coach anymore. I knew I had done my part. I had helped 100, maybe even thousands of people connect to opportunities. And I even did that for a while over the pandemic because that really called me to help those that were being laid off and furloughed during that time. So sometimes I’ll break it out, right, if it’s in, like, a total necessity. But when I’m totally focused on my my calling, what it is I meant to do, It was no longer the career coaching thing, and it had really pulled me towards life coaching.

Miranda [00:06:48]:
So I had been in the in between a few times. So now that I’m feeling it again, and I’m not quite sure what it looks like. Like, back then, I I felt called to life coaching, and I still do life coaching. It’s still a huge part of my business. Huge fan of it. I incorporate it in everything I do. Even my LinkedIn training at at corporations with teams, I infuse some life coaching into it. So I know that’s still on my heart for a reason.

Miranda [00:07:15]:
And I still do speaking and LinkedIn trainings, but there’s a part of my business that no longer brings me the joy it used to bring me. And so I’m starting to feel that that’s gonna slowly fade away. I won’t share which part of it yet, but you’ll see eventually. However, the thing I that I feel in between is I don’t know what’s next. I’m sure I’ll still be coaching. I’m still gonna be a speaker. I love me some LinkedIn and personal branding, but it may be in the way that I deliver these offerings or the way that I work with people with these areas in mind. And I’m just so excited for the first time to to be in the in between, and that’s really what I wanna talk to you about today.

Miranda [00:08:01]:
Not just my story. That was just a little example of my past experience and the in between and how it worked out and now the current experience where I just don’t know. I’m sure it’s gonna work out. I’ve got all the faith in the world. I know God’s got me. However, there are some people that I work with currently that feel they’re in the in between also, and they’re just not sure what they’re going to do. So here is my 2¢ on what we do when we’re in the in between. When we feel something is off and we know it, we feel it, we’re just not sure what it’s trying to tell us yet.

Miranda [00:08:39]:
So my biggest tip is to get very quiet, which is a hard one for me. I am not someone who gets quiet on purpose. However, when I do, typically, I’ll feel or hear or sense some type of response that gives me insight. What I need to know, where I need to go, potentially what steps I need to take, and that’s what comes to me when I’m quiet. So this is through prayer, meditation, grounding. Oh, lord. Am I obsessed with grounding? Friends, take your shoes and socks off, and please walk in some grass. It is life changing.

Miranda [00:09:25]:
I cannot I cannot stress grounding enough. So if you’re feeling in the in between, you’re not sure what’s next, you’re not feeling what’s happening right now, but you you just aren’t sure where what step to take, take your socks off and take it in grass, but get quiet. Get still. Listen, feel, hear. Who knows how it’s the message is gonna be delivered to you? Maybe it’s in this podcast. Maybe it’s in prayer. Maybe it’s in meditation. Maybe it is with your face in the sun and breathing the fresh beautiful air.

Miranda [00:09:59]:
Listen to to what you’re feeling and hearing and sensing because that is then when we can start to move forward towards the results. So the first thing, if you’re feeling in the in between and you’re not sure what to do, my first suggestion is to get still. My second suggestion is to be open. Be completely open because if we hold on so tightly to where we think we wanna go or where we currently are, something’s about to snap. Right? Like, obviously, we want a map to life. We would love to open up a book and say, here’s what’s next for you. So just take these 4 steps and take a right at the whatever, and you’ll be there. It doesn’t work that way, unfortunately.

Miranda [00:10:51]:
So we have to get still. We have to get open. We have to be available for things to come in that may not be for us, but maybe it’ll lead to something else. So get still and get quiet. Be open to possibilities. Be observant. Right? Look while you’re being open, look around you. Listen intently to the conversations you’re surrounded by.

Miranda [00:11:19]:
Who are the people popping in in your life? Maybe someone who hasn’t been in in a while. What do they do? What are they up to? Right? Start asking some really cool questions. And this curiosity, this openness to whatever is happening around you, may lead you to that next step. So 1, get quiet. 2, be open. Let that curiosity bring you some answers. And, 3, continue to do you. Here’s my thoughts on that.

Miranda [00:11:52]:
When I get scared or nervous and, last week, we talked about being fearful. That is just the devil. That is not you. Being fearful can stop us in our tracks and become these huge roadblocks on the way to where we’re meant to be. So when we stop doing us, being who we are because we tighten up and get off scared and stuff, we end up closing ourselves to opportunities. We end up saying no more than we should say yes. We end up, you know, not meeting the right people because our energy is off, and so they don’t they’re not magnetized to us like they normally should be. So continue whatever your personality is, if you’re a happy person, if you’re optimistic, continue to be happy and optimistic.

Miranda [00:12:43]:
Remind yourself of all the things you currently have. Right? The things you’re grateful for to keep you in that state of happiness and gratitude and optimism. If you’re naturally a cranky pants, well, maybe you can keep doing you, but maybe find ways to be a happier version of you. Right? So sometimes when I’m in the in between, I’ll break out an old habit, an old hobby that I love, like dancing or singing. I actually looked up, hip hop classes for adults in my area recently because I used to be a dancer and I miss it, and my body needs movement because it just feels amazing. And when I do things in my body I used to be an athlete. So when I do things in my body, I feel very proud of myself and it makes me wanna take more risks. Right? So continue to to be who you are.

Miranda [00:13:35]:
And if who you naturally are is more of the, like, logistical, let’s just, like, I’m introverted. I’m not this happy, optim optimistic type person. That’s okay. Don’t change who you are because you don’t know where you’re going. Right? Continue to be you. Own who you are. Own your complete awesomeness and just take the next step. Whatever that may be.

Miranda [00:13:58]:
If the next step is to get quiet, get quiet. If it’s to go grounding out in the backyard, go grounding in the backyard. If it’s to reach out to a friend and ask what’s going on in their life. Right? Because, sometimes, we can figure out our stuff by asking others what’s happening in their life. Right? So have some beautiful conversations. But, really, the top three overarching things for you to consider as action steps if you’re feeling in the in between is to get quiet, to be open, and continue to be exactly who God made you to be. You are a 100% exactly where you’re meant to be in this season of life right now. It may not feel as awesome as we want it to be.

Miranda [00:14:48]:
It may be confusing. It may feel a little nerve wracking. It may cause some anxiety. Right now, I am in the in between and for some reason, I’m loving it. And it’s so much better to love the uncertainty. This is where people say get comfortable being uncomfortable. Where here, I’m saying be confident in the uncertainty. Right? Be confident.

Miranda [00:15:12]:
Be completely yourself. Own your awesome in the uncertain times because the next best thing is on its way. I can feel it. I feel it for myself. I feel it for you. Can you feel it? Oh my goodness. I know it’s coming. I can’t wait someday to be able to put out an episode and tell you exactly what it was because right now I have no idea, and I know we can’t connect the dots looking forward.

Miranda [00:15:38]:
We can only connect the dots looking back. So I’m not gonna rush time, but I cannot wait to get to the moment where I’m recording the show and I say go back to episode 4 where I talk about the in between because I’ve got the results, friends. So how about you? Are you in the in between? Do you feel like you’re not quite sitting where you’re meant to be? There’s there’s supposed to be something else whether it’s more or different because it’s okay. Lean into it. Get still. Get quiet. Be open and be 100% you in the in between. And that’s how we own our awesome.