Tips for moving on
May 2012
Cherish what was, cling to what is
Do you find yourself unable to move forward with your life after a move? You owe it to yourself and your family to begin the process of letting go. You must discern between what to cherish and what to cling to!
To cherish means, “to hold in the mind, to treasure, to hold dear, to value highly.” To cling means, “to clutch, to cleave, to hold on to, to grab hold of.” Let’s apply those definitions to moving.
Cherish what was! Cling to what is and to what never changes! Cherish what you left behind! Cling to what you brought with you!
CherishDistant Family Distant Friends Past memories Your Heritage The Job You Left The House You Loved Your Roots The City or Town You Left |
Cling toGod The Bible Your Faith Prayer God’s Promises Positive Not Negative Your Values Each Other |
Here are some ways to help you cherish the past and cling to the future:
- Don’t expect things to be the same in your new location as they were in the old one, or you’ll be disappointed.
- Focus on what you have here, not on what you had there.
- Accept being where you are.
- Send samples of your new environment to family (seashells, fruit, rose petals – whatever is typical of your new area).
- Send “a piece of who you are” to friends (favorite book, recipe, poem, verse – whatever you love).
- Let go of expectations that you’ll move back.
- Dwell on the positive and not the negative.
- Write your family or friends and tell them how much you cherish them in your life. Written words are keepsakes!
- Find a new church. When you have found one, you are home.
(excerpted from After the Boxes Are Unpacked by Susan Miller)
