When I look back at my life it is filled with moments where I had to choose to move on or hold my course.  Although I live by faith and do my best to follow my intended path, there are three things I always review before making a final decision as to the direction I will follow. 

1.  Why am I moving on?

There might be numerous obvious reasons to move on and start new.  Despite the obvious, I always ask myself why I am thinking about this change. 

When I review my answers, I look for how meaningful my answers are to my future.  Is the change productive, positive, and in line with my priorities?  After answering those questions, sometimes I find that my motivation for the change is driven more by momentary dissatisfaction than by prayer and faith.  Thinking about why I desire a change in my life always seems to bring me back to focusing on my faith. 

2.  When do I move on?

Seldom do I know in advance the timing of when I am going to move on.  Sometimes I know years in advance that something in my life will be changing.  However, it is rare for me to know exactly when the change will occur.   

I rely on prayer and faith to guide me.  Sometimes I know it is time to move on because there are a series of events that take place all pointing back to the same conclusion.  Other times there is no direction and I know then that I have to be patient and wait for the right time and opportunity.  I have learned to enjoy those times when I am waiting for direction.  I give up control and do my best to prepare for any possible change.

3.  How do I move on?

There are certain things I do to prepare myself for the opportunity to move on.  Those things change depending on the task, but all of them start with asking for guidance through prayer. 

When I hold a leadership role in an organization I make sure someone is able to take over so I can move on to something different.  I am continually looking for people who might be interested in my position.  Rarely do I rely on one person because we all know that life throws us changes and suddenly the person you were counting on is no longer a possibility. 

At work, I always train people to be able to take over for me in preparation for when it is time to move on.  I like to have someone who knows my job so I may be considered for the next promotion or position.

I am grateful that I never had the need to move on from my spouse; however, in crisis, I did need to learn how to move on after his death.  I simply relied on my faith to give me the strength to move on.  Although it was simple, it was not always easy.  I knew to rely on my faith and I never wavered from my belief that the girls and I would flourish despite our loss.   

Questioning my “why” helps put the potential change in perspective.  I often have a plan for when to move on, but I rarely know the exact timing.  I know that I will be able to move on because I have prepared the way for someone else to take over.  I move forward in faith and rely on prayer to help me stay the course. 

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