Turn and face the strange (gotta love classic David Bowie).  I’m feeling like a bit of a Space Oddity myself since I will be temporarily leaving New York in the fall.  I’m renting my Brooklyn apartment out to test the waters to see if I desperately miss it  and have to be there or if it’s time to move on.

If you’ve been following me for a while (and even if you haven’t), suffice it to say that I am, have been and always will be a New Yorker (Noo YAWK is it’s own dialect and mindset). I’ve got the accent, attitude and energy, though things have shifted quite a bit since my move from Manhattan to Brooklyn and Pennsylvania farm country.

This was not an easy decision, but the stirrings of change emerged over a year ago when a whisper, that then became a shout, beckoned. “Maybe it’s time to leave New York?” My inner voice hinted. I was frankly so shocked by this idea that I quickly pushed it down and away. Yet it persisted.

As I said, I’m a New Yorker, so this was a lot to take in. As the voice grew louder, I knew that it was in fact time for a shift. I’ve learned not to ignore my inner wisdom because it’s trying to telling me something important that I need to acknowledge.

Well, opportunity knocked (as it often does once you let your intentions out wild into the universe) and I answered the door. So I’ve been prepping myself and my apartment for this big change in my life – a transition to something new that has yet to unfold.

I’m sharing below what the process of preparing for change has revealed for me and how the same steps can apply to you and any transition you may be contemplating.

• CLEAR IT OUT: I’ve been going through all my stuff to see what I still need, want and use. Not nearly as much as I thought. While I’ve touched on the importance of making space before, this step cannot be overstated.
  • You cannot let something new into your life if it’s currently filled to the gills with other “stuff.”  New opportunities only come to those who are open to them.
  • In going through my things, I realize how much I’ve been holding onto that no longer reflects who I am, as much as it may have been important in the past. I also see how some things represent what I may have wanted, but are no longer true for me any longer (from clothing I don’t wear, to books I never read but aspired to, to dishes I don’t use).  I am letting these go off to new homes (I’m a big upcycling fan – one person’s junk is another’s treasure).
• REALIZE WHAT IS: In assessing all my accumulated things, I was able to honestly see what is (and what is not) still important. Some items represented my best intentions while others were misguided attempts to live another life.  It’s helping me consider who I am right now and what I most need.
  • One particular example that I’m embarrassed to admit.  I bought myself an expensive item to acknowledge starting my own business 11 years ago which I have used a total of 3 times….  and it cost a pretty penny. A sad reflection of my attachment to some idealized identity that wasn’t really me.
  • Objects have meaning, though often not in the way we realize.  Experiences are often more valuable.
• RELEASE AND LET IT GO: Once I could see things for what they were, in many cases ego-driven acquisitions, I could forgive myself without feeling ashamed of being extravagant or wasteful. Clearly I was trying to express some hidden need, though it came out sideways because I wasn’t fully aware of what was going on at the time.
  • While it can be easy to feel guilty, I prefer being gentle and understanding with myself (and others). I will sell or donate it and thank it for the lesson it taught me.
  • I am now more conscious of my true needs and am grateful to move on without the burden of unrealized needs hanging over my head.

BEING AUTHENTIC WITH YOURSELF

These are the first 3 steps of my 8 step Authentic Alchemy Path process (CLEAR, REALIZE, RELEASE). I know they give us the power to create lasting and positive change. Sadly, these steps are too often overlooked in the desire to move forward, get ahead and push through.

We cannot move smoothly from one state of being to another without doing the inner work of making peace with ourselves and who we were, what we want and what may be holding us back from who we wish to become.

If you think this is easy or simple work, you would be wrong. It is however important to move through this process to find greater self-awareness and to make peace with ourselves and our past, so we don’t have to keep feeding hungry ghosts. We can be guided and find grace, particularly when we treat ourselves with love and compassion.

Forcing change and muscling through challenges is exactly what you would expect – painful, difficult and misguided. “Spiritual bypass” can happen without reflection. Just assuming you’re okay because you told yourself you’re fine and push through. We benefit from acknowledging important transitions – how we and our lives have changed – to treat those phases with the respect they deserve.

Because life is after all a series of cycles – growth, expansion, plateaus and contractions before starting over again. When we gracefully lay the past to rest, we are best positioned to create something new with energy, enthusiasm and excitement.

What’s Your Experience?

I will continue to share more about the Authentic Alchemy Path, the process to guide you through creating a life you love in my new book.  If you would like to explore how to find a life path of more fulfillment, meaning and conscious alignment with your values, please reach out to connect. I’d love to explore what can support you.

If you ever left a place you loved, I’d be interested in hearing about your experience. What was it like for you?  Did you outgrow it, choose to leave with intention or have to leave for other reasons?  I’m curious what you learned and any lessons you’d like to share as I go through this major change in my own life.