Today, I sit alone in a café in a new city, wondering why introducing this part of the series is so tricky for me. And then, with a sip of my second coffee, it clicked. This one is hard to write because this is the part of the process I find myself drowning in today.
The desire for change found me long before I began my own Spring Cleaning this year. Yet, the guilt I felt for no longer resonating with the world I built kept me frozen in the reflection stage longer than I’d care to admit. I chose nearly every part of that world. So why did I suddenly find myself wanting something different, something more?
It took a hefty dose of self-reflection to finally identify what needed to be released. Everything. Well, just about everything. The external factors I had once defined myself by – my job, my location, my hobbies and interests– no longer fit the person I had evolved into. While I loved my time within that world, I knew I loved the person I had grown to become even more. And then, I entered the release stage.
After two weeks in my new environment, I’ll admit the loneliness I’ve experienced has felt like life itself reached into my gut and twisted every sense of security I had once cemented in place. Because the shifts I needed this Spring Cleaning season were so drastic, I knew trying to avoid the discomfort would be useless. Instead, I chose to hold space for the grief. Every release was followed by a wave of gratitude confirming that despite the challenge, every change I made was absolutely necessary.
As I sit here now, I realize I’m moving on, just as you are.
Though I still feel the absence of all I left behind, this is about perspective.
We could allow the discomfort of living in the space between what was and what has yet to be to lure us back into our old lives. This process is by no means easy. I wouldn’t blame anyone who chose to retreat to their comfort zone. But you could also choose to shift your gaze ahead and step forward.
We can allow freedom to fill the spaces that once felt like a void, the spaces that once held the habits, memories, and experiences that aren’t needed in this next chapter. Now is when we choose to accept what is gone and embrace the beauty that is beginning to sneak into our lives.
Now it is time to move on.
Ahead, a few poetry collections sure to ease the transition and support you as you journey on.
Dear Self, by Patience Tamarra
This collection is filled with sweet notes to hold your hand through the toughest of times. Dear Self, was inspired by the time Patience Tamarra spent searching for love outside of herself only to find disappointment instead. While this is a lesson I’m sure most of us have learned the hard way, Tamarra shows the glory of choosing to bask in the light of our own love. For a little extra love, be sure to check out Patience Tamarra’s podcast, Healing Together Podcast, and her Instagram for more gentle reminders to keep you going.
Welcome Home: A Guide to Building A Home for Your Soul by Najwa Zebian
This is your complete guidebook to constructing your sense of home within yourself. Complete with tools, meditations, journaling prompts and poetry, Zebian shares how she released abandonment fears to build an indestructible home within herself. The most impressive part of this book is by far Zebian’s willingness to reflect on the most intimate moments of her relationships and experience as an immigrant forced to call a foreign land home. This is absolutely a must-read for anyone looking to move onwards and upwards.
I’m Rising: Determined. Confident. Powerful. by Michelle G. Stradford
Throughout I’m Rising: Determined. Confident. Powerful. by Michelle G. Stradford, readers are given fuel to re-ignite any passion, strength or faith they may be running low on. Though it’s been a few weeks since I read this collection, the words on each page still manage to wipe away any remaining fears the instant they creep up on me. Stradford’s words remind us of the importance of embracing each part of our journey. Most importantly, her powerful lines encourage us to always trust that there is light to be found, even after the darkest of times.
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