A few weeks ago I spoke at a high school graduation in Washington State.
Gathered in the rows to my right were students who had spent years working toward this moment. They were excited about what was next. College. Careers. New opportunities. New relationships.
At the same time, I’m sure many of them were also nervous.
Change is complicated, even when it’s good.
We often think anxiety comes from failure, loss, or disappointment. But some of life’s most positive moments carry uncertainty as well. A promotion. A marriage. A move. A graduation. A new opportunity.
The future we hoped for has finally arrived—and suddenly we’re being asked to leave behind what is familiar.
We often assume that if we’re headed in the right direction, we should feel certain.
But uncertainty isn’t always a warning sign. Sometimes it’s simply the price of stepping into something new.
The graduates I spoke to in Washington are about to discover what all of us eventually learn: every meaningful chapter requires leaving another one behind.
That’s true whether you’re eighteen or eighty.
They seemed to understand that.
Just before I took the stage, the high school choir sang Landslide by Fleetwood Mac. At the heart of the song is a question that every graduate—and every adult—eventually faces: Can I handle the seasons of my life?
At eighteen, that question might be about college.
At forty-five, it might be about a career change.
At seventy-five, it might be about retirement.
The circumstances change. The question remains.
Of course, the graduates weren’t the only ones there facing change.
Some parents were sending their youngest child into adulthood. Some teachers were finishing careers. Some families were preparing for moves, new jobs, or new seasons.
The students were simply the only ones wearing robes.
The truth is that all of us are continually being asked to step into new chapters.
The goal isn’t to eliminate the uncertainty that comes with change. The goal is to move forward anyway.
Growth almost always begins with stepping away from something familiar.
And while the next chapter may feel uncertain, that doesn’t mean it’s the wrong one.
In fact, it may be exactly where the next chapter begins.
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