Are you waiting to be moved?
By Olga Sheean
I’ve moved a lot in my life, having visited or lived in 35 countries around the world. It can be exciting, inspiring and life-changing – if you don’t mind launching yourself into the unknown. I found my husband after moving to Switzerland, due to a gut feeling that I needed to be there, and I forged a new career in Canada, following an apparent chance encounter with a Vancouverite in the jungles of Peru. Yet ‘chance’ is what inevitably happens when we let go of our usual anchors and open ourselves up to new possibilities.
Being anchored can be good, of course. If you feel stable, inspired and content in your life, you’re probably anchored in the right place. If, however, you feel unsettled, agitated or unfulfilled, a move may be required. But the move itself is the easy part. Even plotting a journey halfway round the globe can be done with just a few clicks of your mouse. It’s the insecurities, self-doubts and negative projections that get in the way. In fact, whatever your goals in life, these are usually the only things getting in your way, and they may have nothing to do with your hoped-for destination.
Here are some signs to look for, if you’re wondering about moving, in terms of your career, health, love life or geographical location.
1. Your limbs are achy or your bones feel heavy. Our skeletal system is designed for locomotion and to enable us to remove ourselves from uncomfortable or unsafe situations. Any negative childhood experience can cause us to shut down emotionally and physically, which can then cause us to stay stuck in certain areas of our lives. If we’re disconnected from our body’s inner prompts to move, we usually end up feeling it in our limbs. If so, we must exercise vigorously to free the body from constriction, to release the trapped energy and to access whatever information is trying to reach our conscious minds, so that we can move forward positively with our lives.
2. You’re dwelling on petty things, arguing over who’s right or wrong. This is a sure sign that some movement is required – usually in terms of communicating more openly and practising greater emotional honesty. There’s a whole world of possibility inside us, waiting to be explored and expressed, and there’s really no good excuse for holding ourselves back. (You can’t blame it on anyone else, unless you’ve been gagged and bound.) If you’re sweating the small stuff, try to let go of the need to be right (even if you are!) and ask yourself who you’re blaming for feeling stuck. When you’re 85, sitting in your rocking chair with a head full of regrets, it won’t just be the trip to India that you’ll think about; it will be all those heartfelt things you left unsaid.
3. You’re drawn to other cultures and philosophies, and are yearning for something. Explore another country, take yourself beyond your current boundaries and find out what’s missing inside. Travelling can be a powerful way to discover what we’re made of and what really matters. When we strip away our usual busyness, routines and distractions, we’re forced to be present. We must respond to new cultures, languages, regulations, and values, and our usual ways of doing things will not work. By placing ourselves in a foreign environment, we expand our vision of humanity and we can reinvent ourselves without the constraints of our native culture.
So don’t wait to be moved or the move may be made for you – by your boss, a dissatisfied partner or an ailing economy. While inertia almost always leads to regrets, daring moves keep us vibrant, engaged and living a life of creative fulfilment.
Olga Sheean is an author and personal empowerment coach who teaches a unique system of self-mastery designed to put you powerfully on track with your life.
www.olgasheean.com
