posted January 08, 2007 04:36 PM         

"Running Away versus Moving Forward

There are times when change—moving to a new city or a new home, or changing
careers—is the right thing at the right time. But there are also times when the
urge for change is really just a desire to run away from problems that need to
be faced rather than avoided. These are the kinds of problems that recur in our
lives. For example, issues with coworkers that seem to arise at every job we
take, or repeatedly getting into unhealthy relationships. A move might
temporarily distract us, and even cure the problem for a time, simply by taking
us out of the situation in which the problem fully manifested itself. However,
the problem will eventually appear again in our new situation.

One way to make sure you aren’t running away from your problems is to notice
whether you are moving towards something that is exciting in its own right, as
opposed to something that is appealing only because it is not where you are now.
For example, if you are leaving a city because you feel you can’t afford it, you
could be reinforcing poverty consciousness, and you might find that you are
unable to make ends meet in your new city as well. It would ultimately be less
of an effort to stay where you are and look more deeply into your beliefs about
money. You may discover that as you address these issues, you are able to make
more money simply by changing your mindset. You may still decide to move, but it
will be an act with a positive intention behind it and not an escape, which
could make all the difference.

Any pain involved in facing our issues is well worth the effort in the end.
When we face our problems instead of avoiding them, we free our energy and
transform ourselves from people who run away into people who move
enthusiastically forward.