The Only Way Out Is Through

The Inflection Point

You know that feeling when something’s shifting - the wheels are in motion, and you’re on a path where you know there’s no turning back?

That’s the current inflection point for me with moving to London. 

But this isn’t just about geography. It’s something deeper. A before-and-after moment in my life. A period of significant change.

Many times in my adult life I’ve come back to this phrase: 

“The only way out is through”

Not around. Not above. Through.

This can mean grinding it out and getting myself through it with sheer brute force. It can also mean going through the uncomfortable parts, surrendering to the full experience, even in the ambiguity.

There are moments where life splits. You look up, and you’re not where you were. And there’s only one direction left to go.

The Pattern of Leaps

This isn’t the first time I’ve stood at this crossing.

I think back to every Ironman. Standing on the start line in the dark, wetsuit zipped up, body humming. There was no faking it. The only way out of that race was to finish it - or in an ambulance.

Or getting through multiple all-nighter renovation marathons to get a rental property ready for tenants by the deadline. 

Each time, the pattern was the same.

Tension. Uncertainty. Motion.

It wasn’t that I was fearless. It’s that I moved anyway. That’s the thread.

The thing about those moments is they don’t feel heroic. They feel nauseating. But that’s the path to growth — not around safety, but through fire.

The Current Leap: London

So here I am again — bags packed, to-do lists to-done, movers on their way. There’s a huge opportunity ahead but still plenty of uncertainty. 

Leaving behind comfort and familiarity and heading towards opportunity and a new chapter that I haven’t read yet - or written for that matter!

And maybe that’s the most ambiguous part is the in-between, where you’re not quite who you were, but not yet who you’re becoming.

You don’t always move because you’re ready. Sometimes you move because you can't afford to stand still.

The Meaning of 'Through'

“Through” isn’t sexy. It’s not an inspirational quote with a clean font and a sunset in the background.

“Through” is messy. It’s lonely nights. It’s a grind. It’s doing the thing even when you’re questioning all of it.

But it’s also the only path to the other side.

You can’t skip the middle. You can’t fast-forward pain, heartache, and growth.You have to go through it.

Through is where the growth lives. Through is where the truth shows up and character is tested.

What Comes Next

This may be a bit dramatic, but a small piece of me has to die in order to get to the other side. On the other side is where I want to be. The other side is opportunity, growth, a new chapter.

It won't be perfect, but I will make progress and that's better than nothing!

I used to write haikus in my head while I was biking - baikus, if you will... Here's a recent one that is relevant:

It has just begun
You thought you were almost done
The way out is through

Try applying this concept to any challenges you may be facing and see how your mind and body responds. I've found it quite empowering. "I've gotten myself into this, now I can (and have to) get myself through it."

I'll leave you with one final simple yet powerful thought a friend just texted me as I was writing this:

“Nothing changes if nothing changes”