The Plateau
Accessibility
Audio is a spoken version of the article. Text is on this page.
Child
The Plateau is a place where it feels like you’re standing still, even though you could move if you wanted to. Nothing is scary. Nothing is wrong. It just feels like there isn’t a clear place to go yet.
Sometimes it feels like you’re ready to jump into something new, but you don’t want to jump the wrong way. You might look around and think, I don’t know what to pick, or I don’t know what comes next. That doesn’t mean you’re stuck. It just means you’re pausing.
The Plateau is actually a nice place to be for a little while. You can look around. You can think. You can imagine different ideas without having to choose one right away. You don’t have to hurry.
If you try something and it doesn’t feel right, that’s okay. You can stop. You can turn. You can choose again. Nothing is locked in.
The Plateau is where you learn that waiting isn’t bad.
It’s just part of figuring things out.
© Original work by Rev. Tina M. Adkins.
Teens
The Plateau is where things feel still, even though you know you’re capable of moving. You’re not confused. You’re not afraid. There just isn’t a direction that feels solid yet.
This is often where people start thinking they’re stuck. Nothing is happening. No option feels clearly right. You might feel pressure to decide, but not feel ready to decide. That tension can be uncomfortable if you think something should already be moving.
But the Plateau isn’t a problem. It’s a pause. A place where you can see possibilities without committing to them. You can test ideas in your head, lean toward one option, pull back, and try another—without making anything final.
What matters here is knowing that choices aren’t permanent. If you move and it doesn’t fit, you can adjust. You can retack. Experience keeps changing, and you’re allowed to change with it.
The Plateau is patience with timing.
Not everything needs an answer right away.
© Original work by Rev. Tina M. Adkins.