You Don’t Have to Know What’s Next
What a surreal time I had in Boston this past weekend. I lived in the city for the four years after graduating from college. I was young, just starting out, and in love with the man who would become my husband (and still is.) I moved without a job, and without ever knowing anything about Boston. I was so comfortable not knowing what I was going to do next. Sure, not knowing was sometimes stressful, but it was exciting and fun being in a town full of infinite possibilities.
Fast forward to this past weekend. My husband and I visited our kids, both of them are in/near Boston. One is right out of college, and the other is recently engaged. They are both experiencing the same town at the same time of their lives. Talking with them and watching them live their lives in the same place that was once so familiar was absolutely surreal and kind of poetic.
In a way, the weekend allowed me to relive that time in my life, but also see how much I’ve changed since then. Being with them and having this surreal experience made me start thinking about life and the changes that we go through.
The end of college forces you to change. You have to move on and start adulting. What that looks like varies, but it has to happen. Deciding to spend your life with someone through a committed relationship also forces adaptation.
These things are only a few examples, but if we’re lucky, we continue growing and changing as we move through life. Unfortunately, we can get so comfortable with where we are and what we’re doing that we stop trying to change things—even when they are no longer serving us.
Once stuck in the rut, we may stop feeling joy or anything at all. Life may become mundane, difficult, sad. Maybe we recognize that we aren’t happy, or that the life we’re leading doesn’t fit anymore. We may want to change, but continue prioritizing familiarity and certainty because it’s easier, safer. But making room for something new may be exactly what we need to create a more meaningful life.
As I see it, the continuum is: feeling lackluster, sad, or unfulfilled with life=> desiring something new=> making space for the new by releasing old=> something new comes in=> enjoying life and feeling content again. As humans we do walk the line between wanting novelty and growth while also wanting predictability and safety. So, it’s okay to allow the change to be slow. But all change begins with making space for it.
If you are feeling stuck in the same old patterns or simply ready for change, I encourage you to journal, meditate or simply give yourself space to consider what you can release to make space for something new.
If you didn’t need to know what comes next, what would you release?
What are you holding onto simply because it’s familiar?
When you tune into your heart, ss there anything you know you should let go?
Letting go of things that no longer serve you doesn’t mean abandoning who you are or the life you’ve built. It means making space for things that will enhance your life and more readily reflect who you are now. It allows you to be available for what may come next.
And remember, you don’t have to know what’s next. Let yourself be open to the possibilities.
If you’re ready to explore this concept more deeply, I’m offering a workshop called, “Making Space for What’s Next: The Art of Letting Go.” In it, you’ll learn ways of releasing what you’re ready to leave behind and reconnect with your heart’s desire. Details on my homepage.