E7 P1: Connecting to Your Spirit Through Big Life Transitions - with Elena Borrega
How Big Life Transitions Can Reconnect You to Your Spirit
Big life changes can be exciting on the surface — retirement, kids moving out, career shifts — but they often come with an emotional weight we don’t talk about enough. Loss of identity, grief, and even depression are common companions during major life transitions.
In this episode, we spoke with Elena Borrega, a recently retired daycare director, who shared the raw truth about retiring from a career she adored for over 40 years. Her honesty sheds light on the roller coaster of emotions that come with letting go of a long-held identity.
Common Life Transitions That Challenge Identity
Becoming a parent
Sending a child off to college
The end of a marriage or significant relationship
Serious illness or injury
Losing a job
Retirement
The death of a loved one
In each of these moments, life as you know it shifts — and so does your sense of who you are. But as Elena shared, there’s an incredible opportunity in the middle of this uncertainty: a chance to reconnect with your spirit and rediscover yourself on a deeper level.
Try This at Home: The Identity Reflection Exercise
If you’re moving through a big life transition, try this simple reflection exercise:
Name the Change: Write down what transition you’re going through.
Identify the Loss: What parts of your identity feel threatened or lost?
Explore the New: What qualities, passions, or interests have space to emerge now?
Set an Intention: Choose one small way to nurture this emerging part of yourself — whether it’s exploring a hobby, reconnecting with old friends, or practicing mindfulness.
The takeaway: Transitions are uncomfortable, but they’re also a doorway. With openness, self-compassion, and a little courage, you might just reconnect with a version of yourself you haven’t met yet.