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- Liminal Thinking - The Power of Being “In Between”
Liminal Thinking - The Power of Being “In Between”
How Embracing Uncertainty and Transition Unlocks New Ideas and Opportunities
Welcome to The Smarter Brain, a curation of thought-provoking ideas and actionable reads to help you build better habits and become more productive.
Happy reading - See you on Wednesday!
Cheers,
The Smarter Brain Team
Estimated Reading Time: 2 mins
3 Ideas for Better Habits
Think Between Worlds
Dave Gray is a designer and organizational thinker who studies belief systems, transitions, and how people change their thinking to unlock transformation.
“Liminal thinking is the art of creating change by understanding, shaping, and reframing the beliefs that underpin our actions.”
Growth Lives in the Middle
William Bridges was a renowned organizational consultant and author focused on the psychological process of transition, uncertainty, and adaptation.
“It isn’t the changes that do you in, it’s the transitions.”
Meaning in the In-Between
Viktor Frankl was a neurologist, psychiatrist, and Holocaust survivor whose work focuses on meaning, resilience, and transformation under extreme uncertainty.
“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”
Source: Man's Search for Meaning
Save Hours of Building a Template Yourself
Think about what you want to achieve in every area of your life and how it would help improve your life or those around you. Make your own resolutions that can later be divided into achievable goals. The Notion Life Planner provides a simple, fresh way to plan your life. It connects your goals with actions you can take today, helping you focus on what truly matters each day.
Productivity Tools and Resources
Liminal Creativity: How Liminal Spaces Foster Innovative Thinking
Discover how transitional in-between states can become hotspots for creativity and innovation, as ambiguity loosens mental boundaries and sparks fresh ideas. Read more here.
What Is Liminal Thinking?
A clear business-oriented definition of liminal thinking that emphasizes questioning assumptions and embracing ambiguity to drive innovation and growth. Read more here.
Map Changing Thoughts
Obsidian - A knowledge graph that helps you see how ideas evolve over time - perfect for liminal thinking and belief reframing.
Sit With Uncertainty
Calm - Supports stillness, emotional regulation, and presence - essential skills for navigating liminal states.
What We're Reading
Weekly prompts to slow down, observe transitions, and cultivate awareness in moments that usually pass unnoticed.
Subscribe here: The Art of Noticing
Deep essays at the intersection of philosophy, psychology, art, and science - ideal for liminal reflection and perspective shifts.
Subscribe here: The Marginalian
Brain Food
Today I Learned: Liminal thinking refers to the mental state of being between old beliefs and new perspectives, where familiar rules feel uncertain but new possibilities haven’t fully formed yet. (Source)
Science: Research in cognitive psychology and neuroscience shows that periods of uncertainty and cognitive dissonance increase neural plasticity, particularly in the prefrontal cortex, making the brain more open to revising beliefs and forming novel connections. (Source)
Have a productive rest of your week,
The Smarter Brain Team
Resource Spotlight
The Liminal Leap, Transformation Architects, Courage Compass
Monthly reflections explore how Matt Manning embraces the unknown, turning the discomfort of leaving the familiar into a roadmap for personal and collective evolution. Drawing from liminal theory, technological shifts, and ancient wisdom, this post demonstrates how stepping away from the old can open space for extraordinary transformation. Featured in newsletters, communities, and evolving conversations, the liminal leap method guides readers to navigate uncertainty with clarity, align actions with deeper purpose, and engage life from a place of awakened insight.
The Liminal, Seasonal Reflectors, Threshold Navigators
Weekly essays reveal how Megan Gilger embraces the in‑between moments of life as fertile ground for insight, growth, and renewal. Drawing from the rhythms of nature, personal reflection, and mindful presence, this post explores how liminal spaces-those places between seasons, roles, and identities-shape the way we evolve and become more fully ourselves. Featured in Through the Seasons with Megan Gilger, The Liminal invites readers to lean into transition rather than rush past it, helping you recognize the opportunity in uncertainty, honor the process of becoming, and find comfort in life’s thresholds.
On Liminality, Threshold Storytellers, Perspective Shifters
Weekly explorations reveal how On Liminality navigates the rich and chaotic terrain between what was and what is yet to be, helping readers make sense of transformative times through psyche, archetypal astrology, and creative story weaving. Drawing from depth psychology, symbolic imagination, and personal narrative, this newsletter offers a lens for engaging life’s transitions with intention and insight. Featured in reflections, classes, and a companion podcast, the On Liminality approach helps you embrace uncertainty, see beyond surface patterns, and activate your gifts into meaningful expression.
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