Dear Mediterranean Wanderers
You know that feeling, that sense of something stirring on the inside…You can’t quite pinpoint it, but at the same time, it’s not going away. It’s been there for a while already and try as you might, the more attempts you make at shrugging it off, the more irritating it gets. It’s like a bad case of itchy feet, it just constantly keeps you restless.
My restlessness has always flared up when I’ve stagnated in my life. Either creatively, personally or professionally. In my professional life, it’s always happened when I’ve pursued work I don’t love, in my creative life, it’s happened when I know I’m no longer being challenged by the work I’m putting out and personally I’ve always been alerted to this dreading sense of looming stagnation when I’ve slipped into a routine that makes me feel as though I’m completely on auto-pilot. And then, I think to myself, maybe it’s time for me to move on.
Here’s the thing…
When we stagnate in life, it tends to have a domino effect across everything we do. My belief is, our personal life, professional life, and creative life are inextricably linked. When one goes down, it tends to take down the others along with it. When we receive cues about our stagnation, it’s a message prompting us to take a long hard look at the very thing that needs to change. Nothing changes stagnation as much as actively making a shift in your life.
So what’s nagging you right now?
Maybe it’s time to up the tempo with the creative work you’re doing, have you drained the life of the subject matter that once used to thrill you? I knew I was about to cripple my love for writing when I realised that I was no longer excited writing feature articles for a high profile health and wellness magazine. I took a massive detour and started interviewing people on topics I was passionate about instead. I knew I’d exhausted my use-by date at a successful business I’d helped start from scratch when I started feeling heavy hearted and deflated each time I’d go in. I knew my 11-year relationship was well and truly over when I thought about all I wanted to do in the future, but couldn’t see him in the picture…
When we’re no longer being challenged or when we have become used to the work we are doing, it’s a sign that we are not growing creatively, personally or emotionally. We’ve drained the life out of ourselves.
The sooner you make a change, the swifter you’ll start to create momentum back in your life. It’s not about taking drastic measures, but about realising that in order to inspire the work you do and who you are, it’s necessary to be constantly growing and evolving. When you decide to move on, you set the wheels in motion to head in the right direction again…
So, is it time you move on?
Happy Travels, Paula x
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