In this episode of Cultivate Contentment, I continue exploring the experience of change and focus on what happens after you’ve taken that brave first step but haven’t yet arrived at where you want to be. This stage—the in-between, often called the liminal space—can be incredibly challenging. It’s that place where you’ve left behind the familiar, but the future isn’t fully clear yet. As rural women, farmwives, and mothers, we often find ourselves here, navigating new roles and letting go of old routines that have been ingrained in us for years. This space can feel disorienting and uncomfortable, but it’s also a time for growth and transformation.

Drawing from my own personal experiences and using agricultural metaphors that feel so familiar to life on the farm, I share how this liminal space can lead to powerful growth, even though it may feel uncertain. It’s a lot like planting a crop—you’ve done the work, you’ve planted the seeds, and now you need to nurture them and trust that growth will happen, even if you can’t see the results yet. In this episode, I’m offering practical advice on how to stay patient and trust the process, even when it’s tempting to slip back into old habits.

• Understanding the Liminal Space This in-between phase is a transitional period where you’re no longer in the old, but you’re not quite in the new either. I talk about how I’ve experienced this in my own life and how it often feels unsettling and uncomfortable. Recognizing that this is a natural part of any change can help us embrace it, rather than resist it. It’s like standing on a bridge between two places—you’re on your way, but you’re not quite there yet.

• The Importance of Gradual, Incremental Changes Change doesn’t happen overnight, and trying to force it can often leave us feeling overwhelmed. In this episode, I share how I’ve learned to make slow, incremental changes in my own life to help ease the discomfort of the liminal space. It’s about taking one step at a time, without trying to do too much at once. These small, manageable shifts can create lasting change without feeling like you’ve taken on too much.

• Trusting the Process, Much Like Tending to a Crop On the farm, we know that you don’t see the results of your work right away. After planting, it takes time for crops to grow, and you need to trust that all the nurturing and care will pay off. I apply that same mindset to navigating this liminal space. Even when you can’t see the progress, trust that growth is happening beneath the surface. It’s all part of the process, and having faith in that can help you keep moving forward.

• Resisting the Urge to Revert Back to Familiar Routines When things get uncomfortable, it’s natural to want to go back to what’s familiar, even if that old routine or role wasn’t serving you. I’ve been there myself, and in this episode, I discuss how to resist the urge to revert back to old habits. Instead, I encourage you to stay the course and trust that this discomfort is part of the growth process. It’s hard, but staying committed to the change you’ve started is so important.

• Embracing the Liminal Space as a Time for Reflection and Growth Though the liminal space is filled with uncertainty, it’s also a time for deep reflection and personal growth. I talk about how this period, though difficult, can be one of the most transformative if you allow yourself to sit in the discomfort and reflect on where you’re going. Much like how we tend to our crops, we need to tend to our inner growth and trust that, in time, the fruits of our labor will emerge.