The word “liminal” originates from the Latin word limen, meaning “threshold.”
It describes the in-between state—when you’re not where you started but not yet where you’re going.
Imagine standing in a doorway, one foot in the past and the other hesitating toward the future.
That’s liminality.
It applies to moments of transition, whether personal, cultural, or physical.
Graduations, changes in your multifamily calling, and even global shifts—like pandemics—are liminal experiences.
They’re uncomfortable yet brimming with possibility.
Liminal spaces also describe eerie environments: empty malls, deserted streets at twilight, or a half-finished house.
These places unsettle because they defy easy categorization.
They are neither here nor there.
In mythology, liminality is sacred.
It’s the pause before transformation.
Heroes endure it before stepping into greatness.
Understanding liminality unlocks how humans grow.
It’s the messy middle where we make meaning.
“Liminality is the past propelling the future. Embrace it for all you will become.” —Mike Brewer