Moving On in New Ways
What does moving on look like on your threshold? And what will support you as you do it?
Moving on, the eighth thresholding skill named in my book, Trusting Change, is sometimes challenging not only because we don’t know exactly what the future will be, but also because we have already been changed ourselves and might not move the same way we did before. Moving on as we cross a threshold sometimes requires whole new ways of moving as well as new supports, equipment, understandings or companions. Moving on might not mean moving at the same pace as before, or maybe it isn’t a matter of moving forward at all. Maybe it’s moving deeper instead of forward.
I have just returned from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (pictured above and below), a vast expanse of lakes and protected wilderness along the border between Canada and the United States. It’s a pristine place you must paddle into; a place without motors or wifi, without electricity or cell phones and very few people. Just water and sky, rocks and pines and lots of wildlife, and the haunting call of loons. It’s a place where you are wise to watch your step and take care as you make your way with heavy packs across the rocky shoreline.
In today’s video message (below) about the thresholding skill of Moving On, I’m thinking about what it means to take care as we cross our thresholds, rocky as they often are. To care for yourself and others and to accept the care that can come from others. And to make use of support in its great variety of forms as our own ways of moving and moving on change.
If you’re intrigued by these and other related questions, I hope you’ll attend next week’s guided online session on Moving On, Tuesday, September 19, 7 pm CT. Paid subscribers will find a registration link at the bottom of this message; or anyone can register for the session through the Christine Center or Prairiewoods. I hope you’ll attend.
Or maybe you’d like to join me in person at the Christine Center this month for an autumn equinox retreat, “A New Balance: Trusting a World in Motion.” Space is still available in the rustic hermitages, which are not as rustic as they sound (heat, electricity and a composting toilet included!), as well as single bedrooms in the larger, modern cabins. It will be a beautiful weekend for enjoying the support, guidance and balance found in nature, personal reflection, conversation and community. Register soon to help the retreat center staff plan for meals and space!
What supports do you need as you Move On, crossing your threshold? Do you welcome their assistance or resist it? What might make it easier to find and to accept the supports you now need? How might you take care as you move on, and what will your moving on look like? I’d love to hear what you wish to share in the comments below.