Dealing with Transition and Change

I think a lot of us have a vision for our lives. We dream about the future, hoping to find something we love to do while making an impact on the world around us. I was a college athlete for 5 years and when I finished my redshirt senior year of Track and Field, I decided in faith to keep pursuing my athletic dreams. As with most new pursuits, there are things you encounter that you do not expect.

I went from being surrounded by teammates to training in solitude, all the while trying to figure out how to “adult” by paying bills, managing my time, and creating a new life outside of college. There was a level of loneliness that I wasn’t prepared for, and a feeling of being left behind while my teammates moved on with their lives.

No one tells you how this is supposed to go. And no one really can. Your life is unique and the road that God has called you to is specific to you. We will all always be going in and out of different seasons and stages in life. I think what makes it difficult to transition is when we’re so determined to hang on to the familiar instead of taking up the courage to move out into the unknown.

I’ll be honest, I’m not a huge fan of change. I like my routines; I like my plans and I keep a good schedule. But God is not on our schedule and we can miss what He has for us if we’re so determined to hang on to what is comfortable. I think one of the things I’ll take away the most from the last 5 years of training after college, is to let go of control. God is not in the habit of letting His people down. What He wants for you, is a thousand times greater than we could ever want for ourselves. There's no way to know what that will look like, but what we can remember is that He is Good, and we can always count on that.

A few things that have helped me over the last few years is being incredibly honest with how I feel and getting it out through journaling. Also, finding different ways to motivate myself during training has been important, especially since I train alone most of the time. I always have a good playlist going when I train, and I take my fair share of dance breaks. Finally, and this might sound cliché, but take time to rest, not just sleep but truly rest, it makes a world of difference.

Jocelyn Williams

Jocelyn Williams is an Olympic Hopeful Track and Field Hammer Thrower that earned All-American honors during her time at Liberty University (2010-2015). She is a passionate dual Jamaican-American citizen holding both her Bachelors in Psychology and her Masters in Human Services Counseling. While she is not working or training she enjoys reading, writing, learning new skills and spending time with her family.