Is It Time to Move?

Someone called me yesterday to ask if I was available to talk. He said, “It is time to move!” The decision had been made for him and his family that they were not in the right place.

There are times in life when it is just time to move. It could be a move from your parent’s home to a place of your own. It could be a move from one club to another. It could be a move from one position to another. It could be a move from one country to another. It could be a move in your head from one level of thinking to another. It could be a move from your couch or your desk to a walking path. It could be a move from one career to another.

One of the biggest obstacles to moving is that it’s often very comfortable to stay where you are. There is familiarity where you are. Moving can clearly be less comfortable and less familiar. We are often shackled by the familiar. Moving to a bigger position with more responsibility and higher expectations can be daunting. Moving a family to a new place at certain times of life can be unsettling.

Sometimes you decide to move and sometimes someone else decides for you. Either way the goal is to make the move a thing that makes your life better. You can do it on your own or you can be open to asking for support to make the move more effortless.

There was a time in my life that it was clearly not the time to move geographically. We had three teenagers who had the resources and friends they needed and were doing well. I did move to a new career, and I did embark on designing and moving to a new me.

Is it time to move from being tired to being energized? Is it time to move from angry to kind? Is it time to move from being judgemental to open minded? Is it time to move from being overwhelmed to being present. Is it time to make your mark on the world?

Is it time to be moved?

I was very moved this past year to have been asked to server on the Advisory Board for Tee It Up for the Troops. For the past eight years I have had the privilege of working with wounded veterans and their spouses. I am moved by the sacrifices that the veterans have made, but more aware than most of the sacrifices that their spouses have made.

Each year when I spend time with this group, I am moved.  I get an extraordinary lesson on perspective. I am moved to see that any problems that may worry or irritate me are so insignificant in comparison. I am so grateful.

I am moved by their courage and resilience.

I spent time with two Vietnam veterans who joined the army at 19, learned to fly helicopters and eight months later at the age of 20 were fighting battles in their helicopters. Talk about growing up fast. What really moved me was to see the kind, grateful, humble gentlemen that they were. Their spouses were even better.

I spent time with 18 spouses who amazed me at every turn. They were fun, talented, bright, loving,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                and vulnerable. Many of them under considerable stress and handling problems we hopefully will never have. There were educators, nurses, entrepreneurs, mothers and caregivers. One woman said she was PhD Candidate. Another said she was also a PhD Candidate. One said she had a PhD, and another said she doesn’t tell many people, but she is also a PhD. I am moved by associating with extraordinary human beings.

I am moved by people who have the courage to reach out for help, even after years of being trained to be tough, resilient and independent.

Is it time to be moved by the brilliance of others. Is it time to be moved by the challenges that others have overcome? Is it time to be moved by the gratitude that others must be where they are, even when it doesn’t seem like a great place to be?

Is it time to move?

I have asked this question before but, this time the context is different. Is it time to move and inspire someone else.

I have learned that a lot of wounded veterans feel lost, alone, unloved, and lacking in purpose. After many years of coaching, I have noticed that those feeling are not exclusive to veterans. Tee It Up for the Troops works hard to create a sense of belonging. They create community. They help them to see they are not alone. They help them to see that they are valued and loved. They create resources to help them find their purpose.

I found each of them moving and inspiring in their own way. My message to you is that you can move and inspire, and it is quite possible that someone needs you doing it today. You may not see yourself as a moving or inspirational person, but your words, your encouragement, your praise, your story may be exactly what someone needs to hear today.

I have heard veterans on numerous occasions say the moment they were at their lowest point someone called and reached out to them.

Sometimes your power in moving others simply comes from being present with them. Who needs your presence today?

Is it time to move someone by letting them know what you see in them? Is it time to move someone by reminding them how much you love them? Is it time to move someone by just simply connecting with them?

Whether you decide to move, adopt a willingness to be moved, or a choice to move someone else, please embrace the possibilities that come along with movement.