Soul Lessons from a Cross-Country Move

This summer we did something I never thought we would do. We moved our family (kids and Dad in tow) from the West Coast to East Coast. I have called California home for the past 13 years and it has seen me through tremendous times of challenge and growth in my life. I arrived shortly after graduating from college and was seeking an authentic life in alignment with my soul, my purpose and my values. I found all that and so much more! It was a beautiful backdrop to a beautiful life as I married my husband, discovered my path and purpose, became “Mama” and created a home, business and tribe here. Even though I grew up on the East Coast, I really thought I would raise my children in California and always call it home.

But one day, I heard a whisper from my Soul and it caught me by surprise. I saw us moving to the East Coast. Surprisingly a few months later, my husband came to me with a similar idea and notion. Beyond our wildest dreams, it only took 3 months for my husband to get a new teaching job (and an amazing one at that) after our initial conversation that opened up this opportunity. Sometimes the Universe is just patiently waiting for us to say YES to our Soul’s Desires. And once we do, the floodgates of support open up to us and a new world is at our fingertips. One that we can co-create with joy and ease.

I’ve been wanting to share a few lessons I have learned along this journey. It hasn’t been all roses and there are days I woke up ready to go back, but like anything in life, I am realizing it is a journey we are on. A journey to make the decision and trust in your soul’s guidance, a journey to envelope your children in complete love and trust to help them navigate new waters and a journey of grieving and letting go so you may begin a new chapter. For those of you hearing whispers and rumblings of truth within, don’t ignore them. I am here holding space for you to listen, to trust and ultimately to fly.

Here are the lessons I have learned from our journey and move (with family in tow) that I hope will inspire you to trust the wisdom within and give yourself permission to dream your soul’s deepest desires and create an authentic life.

1. Set Clear Intentions

   We must set clear intentions to get specific results. My husband and I got very specific on what we needed in a job for him to make this move worth it. Wouldn’t you know it, we received all of these – and more – and it was easier to say YES to the move once we got out of our own fears and worries.

2. Be Open and Flexible

   The Universe is here to support us but we must also be open and flexible to the outcomes. We fell in love with an old farmhouse and property and put in an offer that was immediately accepted. We were beyond excited until we received the inspection results. We knew that with two young kids, my husband starting a new job and taking care of my ill father, we wouldn’t have the time, energy or financial means to pour into the house and property to make it what we would want. It was a hard process but we had to let that dream go.

   The day I landed in southern France for a retreat I learned that our third offer was accepted on a house. This house needed no immediate work and we could move right in. We remained open and flexible in our plans yet clear and consistent with our needs. And I do say, we were rewarded with a beautiful new home with plenty of space to enjoy Nature and allow us the time we need to ground ourselves in our new home and in our new life.

3. Ask for Support

   This one has been hard for me at times. I was taught to be independent and to not ask for help unless it was more of a dire situation. Through personal work and coaching the last few years, I have realized that seeking support is a necessary role of welcoming the divine feminine in your life. It’s amazing how asking for help, whether big or small, opens up a channel of love between friends, neighbors, family, etc. People genuinely want to help each other. But sometimes, we need to get specific in how we ask for support so it is easier for others to give the love, care and support they desire to give you. Don’t hesitate in asking for help. I have learned that we can’t do it all alone. So don’t even try to.

4. Establish Routines and Create a Container

   As a mama to two young daughters, I have realized how essential routine is to our happiness. We are blessed with rather care-free summers as my husband is a teacher but living the life of a “gypsy family” for a few weeks was tough on our little ones. As soon as you can, establish a routine for the comfort of the wee ones and yourself. School is always helpful in establishing consistent routines but I found with our move and being without our own stuff it was necessary to create a container for them to feel nourished and supported so they knew what to expect and what was coming. My one daughter is very spirited and always needs to know what is coming next. When you launch her into a major life transition and change such as moving across the country she gets more than anxious and nervous. As a mother, I allow her to feel her emotions but also create the container for her to feel supported. It’s kind of like coaching. A coaching package is a container for the client to discover the truth and guidance of their soul in establishing the beloved life they choose to lead and the business they desire to create. Without the container of a coaching package, it can be challenging to listen, trust and act on your own guidance.

5. Give Yourself Permission to Be Where You Need to Be
   

   With any big change in life or work it sometimes takes time for our body, mind and soul to catch up. Once school started for my husband and two daughters and I had my Dad comfortable with a palliative care/hospice program, it felt like it was time to take care of myself. I wasn’t ready to jump into marketing my business and getting new clients. I needed time to ground myself, to grieve, to connect with the Earth and myself. My coach challenged me to sit in my cocoon, as I called it, seek support outside of my comfort zone and allow myself to just be – with no attachment and no end-goal in mind. The first week was hard as I found myself distracted unpacking boxes, exploring and running many errands. The second week I found myself walking nature trails and finding a sense of deep comfort and calm in the unknown. My business has been transitioning this year as I step deeper into my gifts and purpose. Giving myself permission to be where I was at on my own journey has really opened myself up to getting clear on my gifts as a coach, my desire as a writer and my intentions as a woman and mother. Had I not given myself an opportunity to sit in this cocoon, I may not have emerged as clear and confident as I feel today.

I have much to be grateful for and even more to look forward to in this season of harvest. I highly recommend you gift yourself opportunity to sit in the space of the unknown – beyond what you feel is comfortable – and allow your deepest desires to come forward.

What would your “Leap of Faith” look like if you allowed yourself to say YES?

Photo credit: Jodi Lynn Photography