Running Towards versus Running Away

All of us have been in a situation where we realized at some point that we wanted out. It could have been a relationship, a job, an exercising routine, community, anything.

Things are great and then, suddenly, the balance tips over and the bad becomes increasingly heavier than the good. Your partner doesn’t seem good enough, job tasks are annoying, the daily bike ride feels boring, and you don’t want to belong to the same circle any longer.

You want to run away to a better place. But where? Knowing what you DON’T want is not the same as knowing what you DO want.

If you ask me what I want for dinner and I tell you I don’t like beans, absolutely hate fried stuff, spicy food upsets my stomach, and I’m trying to avoid carbs, you may think there is still a lot of dishes I’ll like. But even if you serve something that avoids my DON’Ts, what are the odds that I will actually like it?

When you want to move on and be somewhere else, you may think that it’s because there is something wrong with the people, the job, or the neighborhood around you, and that if you simply change the exterior, all is going to be great again. However, you may not realize that the main reason behind why you no longer want to be where you are may lay inside of you. Maybe you’ve evolved and need something else. Maybe there is nothing wrong with the exterior and you’re simply ready to explore new territories and to play with your life a little.

Getting in touch with who you are and what you want is very powerful. If you’re leaving because you can’t take it anymore, you don’t know where you’re going, and the only thing on your mind is to run, you are in a survival mode. If you operate from fear of staying, everything seems better than the current situation. You feel desperate and weak and you may settle for the first thing that crosses your path.

On the other hand, when you know what you DO want and you move towards it, there will be joy, anticipation, and excitement inside of you. You’ll feel stronger, able to enjoy the journey and adapt as you go. You can be present and curious about all that is around you. You can decide based on what you like and what you want with each step that you take. So, where do you want to go next?