I tend to document my little adventures and share them freely on WhatsApp. A friend recently reacted to a WhatsApp status of mine, saying that since I left the desert, I haven’t sat still for more than a month. He went on to ask what it was I was searching for. I laughed. He is not the first person to ask me that, and probably wont be the last.
He was right, of course. I can disappear into my house for weeks at a time, barely stepping outside. But when I do leave, it is rarely for a rave. It is usually for somewhere new. I am always seeking an adventure, exploring new places, or doing things I haven’t done before. Maybe it is because I felt confined for three years, or maybe he is right, I am searching for something, or maybe it is because I want to do more, feel more, discover more, expand my mind more, or be more. In the end, it told him that if human beings were meant to stay in one place, we would have roots instead of feet. I told Noni this too, this past week, during our daycation in Kerugoya.
I hadn’t thought much about that statement until recently.
I feel like that line is some sort of rebellion, or a poetic way of saying something bold; that human beings are meant for movement and change. Trees, unlike human beings, have roots, which keep them rooted in one patch of soil. They draw nourishment from that place and stay there for a lifetime. Human feet move, they wander, they carry us across cities, across countries, across continents and across all seasons of life. Even our anatomy says something about our nature. We are not designed stay still.
I think that is why staying stuck in one place mentally, physically, or emotionally dumbs us down. That is why when we explore new places, and new experiences, our minds open themselves to new ideas, posibilities and new versions of ourselves. With movement, you can outgrow an old belief, learn a new hobby, or study a new concept. With movement, you can forgive, decide to detach, and start over.
I have found that I get better ideas when I am in unfamiliar territory. When you leave what is farmiliar, it just means you are pursing something else that is possible. Somenthing you hant thought of. When I feel stuck, I just move, for a night, a weekend or even a week of necessary. I find that a change in environment shifts my mindset to the better.
Also, I find comfort is boring and overrated. I have clung to places, roles, relationships, and friendships after they have stopped nurturing me, that have silenced my voice, and that no longer reflect the individual I want to be. Yet history shows that progress has always followed movement. Migration built civilizations. We expanded our knowledge because we explored. As I am on a journey of personal transformation, it requires movement.
With feet, we have choices. A choice to walk towards an opportunity, or to walk away, and to challenge yourself on how far you can go. Growth often feels uncomfortable. Leaving the known for the unknown carries risk. There is no guarantee that the next place, the next chapter, or the next version of yourself will be easier. But I think it is worse not knowing. I don’t want to look back at my life, wondering what if. A tree cannot relocate when the soil becomes barren, but we humans can. We are built with the ability to change and evolve. So when you feel like something is off, try changing your environment. You will see how much that works wonders.
