When Change Calls, Answer Boldly

“Change is the only constant in life. One’s ability to adapt to those changes will determine your success in life.” – Benjamin Franklin

This year has been a whirlwind of change. Some of it self initiated and some of it not.

In May, my wife and I made a big decision to sell our home in Portland on a pretty short timeline.

We’d been talking about making a move out of the city for a while so we called up our realtor and she suggested that if we wanted to sell our house before the summer lull, then we needed to act fast. And so, we did.

While Jill was away in Greece leading a month-long retreat, I stayed behind to begin tackling the monumental task of preparing our home for sale.?

I packed, cleaned, coordinated with contractors, and arranged everything that needed fixing. When Jill returned in June, we quickly sold some things, stored others, staged the house, packed up the dogs, loaded the car, and went to spend 3 weeks at a friend’s house on Mt Hood.

Now that the house has sold and we’re out of the city, I’m reflecting on an essential life lesson: sometimes, staying the course makes sense. But sticking with the status quo just for the sake of comfort? That’s a path that can lead to feeling stuck.

I’d like to think that my intuition is more fine tuned than it used to be. In the past, feeling stuck or stagnant slowly led to boredom, indifference, and even apathy. And I? would get paralyzed by fear and do nothing.

Now, that feeling of stuckness is my cue to contemplate the situation and look more deeply at what’s really going on.?

We’d been feeling the call to be closer to nature and have more spaciousness in our lives. While we loved our house and neighborhood, the city had slowly grown up around us and we found ourselves in the middle of more noise, less harmony, and less overall peace of mind.

Spontaneous trips to the river, the coast, and the mountains were increasingly needed to give our nervous systems a break.

This is when we knew it was time for a change. And there’s always room to experiment and challenge ourselves in low-risk/high-reward ways. To lean in and inquire about what would improve our lives and require us to push beyond the familiar.

And now, we’re temporarily living in Troutdale, a cute little town about 25 minutes east of Portland - enjoying life with more space and appreciating the river, the geese,? and the nature trails.

Letting go of our urban life has brought new clarity. We have more time in our days for exploring the river with the dogs, appreciating the change of the seasons, and getting to know the barista at the local coffee shop.

And life has never felt better.

What’s next?

Hood River, Sandy, and Bend or Sisters, Oregon are all on our short list. And so is Camas, Washington.

While this has felt like a season of change and letting go - moving forward and trying new experiences in new places are what will give us the clarity and insight to understand what isn’t right for us - as well as what it is.?

It’s difficult to think your way to success. Sometimes, you have to move.

Holding onto one idea, one place, or one strategy out of fear or pride can invite stagnation and decline. The real growth comes from embracing change, staying open-minded, and being willing to disrupt your own status quo. That’s where true fulfillment is often found.

Finding alignment is rarely a straight path. Most often, it’s a series of pivots, a zig-zag of experiments, and a willingness to step into the unknown with curiosity.

So, what’s one change you need to make that might set you on a new path towards greater alignment??

Here’s to the adventure ahead. And I hope today feels like the most exciting day of your life.

Live bravely,

Michael

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