Welcome back to Thank God It’s Monday!
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​tl;dr All of our earthly possessions are temporary; leave what no longer serves you; everything takes longer than you think it will; and change reveals complacency.
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We travel a lot. That’s the life we choose for this stage of the game. The benefits of seeing new places and experiencing different city cultures outweigh the drawbacks of relocating and the discomfort of frequent change. However, completely packing up our lives every few months does come with its helpful reminders, which may serve those who live in more permanent places.
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First is self-explanatory: all of our earthly possessions are temporary. It may seem like a waste of breath to make that the first lesson, but I think our culture fosters a sense of identity around objects. I am guilty of it myself: I cried after my water bottle shattered after seven years of keeping me hydrated, decorated with dozens of sentimental stickers. Moving frequently reminds us not to get too attached to items. We may enjoy them during our time here, but we leave them behind in the end.
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Second is to create urgency about abandoning what no longer serves you. When we live in one place, it’s easy to fall into a routine of people, places, and routines. Passively, we begin to tolerate people in our lives and situations that no longer serve us, or ones that may even deter us from our goals. Although biologists debunked this story, the frog in the boiling water is a good metaphor.
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When we move every few months, it’s a lot easier to pick up a shirt and say, “I haven’t looked for this in three months, it’s not worth lugging to the next place.” Every few months, we re-evaluate what’s been used and what has been collecting dust. And everything we own gets examined every time, so what no longer serves us goes right to the donation bin or trash.
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Frequently re-examining the clutter in your life frees up mental and physical space.

Third is that everything takes way longer than you expect, even when you’re expecting it to take a while. Few things are worse than when it feels like you’re scrambling. Inevitably, something is not going to go according to plan. So give yourself tons of buffer time, communicate, and practice deep breaths.

Fourth is the most challenging: change reveals complacency. When you change (emotionally, spiritually, physically, etc), you leave some part of you behind. You no longer accept something you used to tolerate (being close-minded, a negative attitude, drinking every weekend, doom scrolling, etc). And as a result, you will notice this in other people. It’s hard when you are growing and notice other people around you being okay with not changing. It might be your friends, your family, your loved ones, and it sucks. It sucks because you can’t change them, and it upsets you to know they don’t want the same things you do.
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Seeing new places, meeting new people, and adjusting your habits all create change. But a change in yourself reveals the complacency in others. We can only continue working on the best version of ourselves and allow others to follow by example if they choose, or to love them for who they are anyway.
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Do we love moving every few months? No. But do we love the life we live that necessitates that? Yes.
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We all make our choices, and we all make sacrifices. Hopefully, with whatever challenges you choose to take on this week, these lessons can serve you in some way.
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If you found some value in this, please share it with a friend you think would enjoy it! And let me know if you’d like to be added to get TGIM.
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This week, my podcast recommendation is from Science Vs., “Boredom: Is It Good For You?”
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With that, happy Fourth of July! For those of you who know me well, this is the highlight of my year, so I am beyond excited and grateful for gathering so many of my loved ones for a tradition that persists no matter how many times and where we move.
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Happy 250th, America!
Shannon