Moving Forward

How do I move forward when faced with challenges?

For many years, way too many, I stagnated in dealing with difficulties. Stuck in a place of unhappiness and increasing frustration, it took a shake-up that rocked me to my core.

I knew I had and still do have much to to be grateful for. I simply needed to find a way forward that resonated with who I am. I wanted to “be good for something…” as Marcus Aurelius’s said: Death stands at your elbow. Be good for something while you live and it is in your power.”  I wrote about it here.

Moving forward

In a year of deep inner transformation, in which I learnt a great deal about self-care, I wrapped it up with a deepening sense of who I am through attending a retreat and travelling across a country I fell in love with on my first visit, nearly 20 years ago.

Travelling

I travelled across Canada by train. In so doing, I ticked three items on my bucket list, to –

(I) travel across Canada

(ii) see Niagara Falls

(iii) visit Anne of Green Gables’ cottage.

My purpose in travel

How does a trip contribute to moving forward, to achieving one’s purpose in life, to being good for something?

Travelling solo threw me onto my inner resources, providing numerous opportunities to deal with change positively.

Not having travelled overseas for several years, I spent a lot of time navigating the many changes to how to do almost everything in a post-pandemic world! Booking tickets, hotels, train trips, airfares, finding a brilliant agent* in Canada, cancelling and re-booking was a steep learning curve. Problem solving was key!

Thrown into the mix of bucket list items was an opportunity to attend an Eckhart Tolle retreat at Lake Louise. A beautiful experience that left an indelible print on my soul, that carried me forward in the following months.

Accustomed to sharing past journeys with a travel companion, I developed a renewed sense of confidence and resilience as I resolved to make my experience memorable.

Pluses of travelling solo

It surprised me to realise how many people I encountered thought it brave to travel alone. I always felt safe! I enjoyed the freedom! Yes, there were times I’d love to have shared the moment with a companion, like when I was feeling the intense spray of the Niagara Falls.

In travel I find my soul. The journey within is of equal measure in importance to the outer journey. One reflects the other. I discover an inner capacity to deal with life’s challenges. that carries over into daily life. Travel is a journey into discovering more of who I am – and therefore, more of whom I can bring to others.

Photography and travel

My love for amateur photography means I have hundreds, maybe a thousand or more images of my train trip, of things that caught my eye. I enjoyed ‘being present” / ‘in the moment’ appreciating beauty wherever I found myself, whether in the country or in a major city. I now have four albums of images to recall places I enjoyed seeing. Above all, I found ways to maintain a greater sense of peace and confidence which I now harness in solving issues that arise.

* Brilliant agent: Fresh Tracks Canada