Dear Ralph: Do you have any psychology tips for letting go of safe, familiar ties when you’re not sure where you’re going next?
― Cutting Anchor in Oklahoma
Dear Cutting Anchor: There’s a lot to be said for familiar faces and places. But if you’ve been envisioning and working toward this for awhile now, and it feels like the time is right to make a change, then by all means go for it. I love it when people have that kind of instinct. There’s a certain comfort and confidence that comes with knowing that you’re leaving an old situation and moving into the unknown for the right reasons.
As for transitions tips, it’s a good idea to plan ahead as much as you can to tone down the mystery and anxiety behind a big move. Magical things can definitely happen and invisible “helping hands” will often seem to be assisting you when you’re in a transitional phase. But from my experience, those helpful hands like to see that you’re taking responsibility and doing everything you can on your end. At the same time, try not to obsess over details. It helps to leave a little breathing room within your general game plan. BUT (and I think this is your question), what do you do when you know it’s time to move, but you don’t know where to go? Below you’ll find a few tips that may be useful to you. I wish you the best of luck, and may the winds of good fortune be with you as you prepare to set your course, cut that anchor, and set sail!
++RALPH
PREPPING for DEPARTURE:
1. Start packing. I used to do this when I was traveling and working my way through Europe. I would move every 2-6 months, but I often wouldn’t know where I was going next. The answers usually do come, but from my experience, they don’t always show up as soon as you would like them to and it can leave you biting your nails. That said, you can at least start to get ready, and the physical act of packing can help things along. It’s a simple gesture that can help put you in a forward thinking frame of mind, and I think it sends a message to the unseen forces around you that YOU’RE READY! And I don’t just mean packing a suitcase. I mean finishing open projects, and letting people know you’ll be leaving soon. If you have a house that you need to sell, focus on that. Make lists–check things off. That kind of stuff will help.
2. Send out emails. Send out some inquiries to any friends or potential employers in the areas you’re considering and see what comes back.
3. Explore. Take a few scouting trips in the coming months to see what looks good to you.
4. Ask for Guidance. By this I mean, requesting guidance from the unseen world (i.e., spirit guides, God, your deceased Aunt Martha). Ask for clarity. Ask to be shown.
5. Start saying goodbye. Slowly start saying farewell and thank you (if only in your mind at first) to the people and places you’ve known and will be leaving soon.