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Essay 2. The Liminal Space: How to Thrive in the "Messy Middle" of Life

  • Writer: Charlie Taylor
    Charlie Taylor
  • Aug 17
  • 3 min read

Podcast Transcript

Episode Overview

Do you know how to build when you're stuck in-between? This episode explores how to navigate and thrive in liminal spaces—those challenging "in-between" moments where you're not where you were, but not yet where you want to be.

Host: Charlie

Episode Focus: Tools for building resilience and finding peace in uncertain transitions

Key Takeaways

The Quarry Metaphor

  • Inspiration: An architectural digest interview about building a home on a quarry

  • Core Principle: Focus only on what you can see and build from there

  • Application: When facing difficult terrain in life, work with what's visible rather than overwhelming yourself with the entire journey

Why We Must Sometimes Stay in the In-Between

  • Every part of life happens in liminal spaces

  • Learning to adjust and find beauty in uncertainty teaches us to enjoy life's fruits

  • The universe sometimes requires us to work within the "in-between" rather than rush through it

Two Essential Strategies for Thriving in Liminal Spaces

1. Reframe Your Perspective

Don't view this time as punishment or suffering

  • Intense suffering clouds your mind and blocks you from seeing possibilities

  • When focused on what you don't have, you miss opportunities for growth

  • Real-world example: Associate who hated her job learned to ask "What can I take from this situation to get closer to my goals?" This shift helped her:

    • Identify skills she wanted to learn

    • Build relationships with colleagues (even former adversaries)

    • Transform enemies into collaborators and friends

2. Focus on What You Can See

Ground yourself in what's certain and present

  • Appreciate your current situation without hating where you are

  • You don't have to dislike your present to move to the next level

  • Thank the universe for what you're experiencing while maintaining hunger for more

  • Personal example: Living with roommates in early 20s vs. now having a luxury apartment in an expensive, walkable city—recognizing the beauty in current stability

Action Steps

  1. Shift your mindset: View liminal spaces as building opportunities, not punishment

  2. Practice gratitude: Focus on what's certain and present in your life right now

  3. Build where you are: Work with what you can see instead of being paralyzed by the unknown

Resources Mentioned

  • Workshop: Available in Charlie's membership community

  • Website: charliestoolbox.com

  • Additional tools and resources for navigating liminal spaces

Episode Promise

By the end of this episode, you should feel a sense of peace, and if it really resonates, you will surrender to the process of building in uncertainty.

Quote to Remember

"You can appreciate and see what this life has to offer, and still be hungry for more. You can thank the universe for what you are experiencing, and let the universe know that you have the capacity for more."

Next Steps: Visit charliestoolbox.com for the full workshop and additional tools for navigating life's in-between moments.


Connect with Charlie:


Resources & Community

Ready to transform how you handle life's biggest challenges? Join 275+ women in our toolkit community who are mastering these excavation moments and building unshakeable resilience together: https://charliestoolbox.circle.so/checkout/the-toolkit

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Take Action Now: Hit subscribe if you're ready to stop fearing life's excavation moments and start using them as breakthrough opportunities. New episodes drop weekly with practical tools for personal transformation and building the life you actually want.

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