Times of Transition, Part One

In this episode, Dan Allender and Rachael Clinton Chen share an exciting announcement about the future of The Allender Center podcast and talk about how transitions, whether chosen or unchosen, create both danger and deep opportunity.

Rachael has accepted the invitation to co-host this podcast. It is an exciting transition but a transition nonetheless, to which Dan asks the question of what it means for her that she is now the co-host. For the next few moments, the two discuss the implications of this new position and what it will mean not only for their relationship but the future of the podcast itself.

Taking a turn, Dan follows up on this conversation by asking Rachael how she has been doing with the numerous transitions in her own life as well which include a new marriage, family, location, and role at The Allender Center. Rachael responds with honesty and describes how she feels the stress and transition in her body as well as in her day to day experiences.

Rachael: Transitions in and of themselves are a small form of trauma.

Dan: We need to hear every transition brings stress, and stress brings challenges and often illness to our body. There is an interplay of letting go of something that’s mattered to you, and that’s loss, while at the same time taking on something new, which is uncertain and usually complex, which means there is risk.

Dan and Rachael contrast personalities that need stability and grounding, especially in the midst of transitions, versus ones that continually look for quickness and novelty. Both have stronger tendencies toward one over the other which they agree will create a more robust and dynamic experience for listeners as they move into co-hosting the podcast together.

In this episode, Rachael references a podcast series she and Dan recorded last fall on marriage and transitions. Listen to the first episode, Planning and Remembering Weddings, Part One.