I can enjoy anywhere, and I can leave it. Life is about moving

In the words of Waris Dirie, the desert flower who rose from hardship to global voice, we hear a truth both simple and profound: “I can enjoy anywhere, and I can leave it. Life is about moving on.” These words are not the idle musings of one who drifts without care, but the seasoned wisdom of a woman who has known exile, loss, struggle, and triumph. They remind us that life is not a chain to be clung to, nor a prison to be endured, but a journey through many places, many stages, and many seasons.

The heart of this teaching lies in two forces: the power to enjoy and the power to leave. To enjoy anywhere is to cultivate a spirit of gratitude, to find beauty even in the harshest desert or the most ordinary room. To leave is to refuse the bondage of attachment, to know when a place, a moment, or a chapter has given all it can give. Together, these powers form the art of moving on, which Dirie declares to be the essence of life. For what is life but a series of arrivals and departures, each demanding both appreciation and release?

The ancients knew this well. Consider the story of Abraham, called to leave his homeland and go into the unknown. He pitched his tent wherever he wandered, and in each place he built an altar, honoring the moment, but he did not cling to the soil beneath him. His journey was one of faith, of moving on whenever called. So too do Dirie’s words carry the same flame: to enjoy, yet not to grasp; to dwell, yet not to cling; to love, yet not to be enslaved by longing.

History also teaches us this lesson in the voyages of explorers. Think of Ibn Battuta, who journeyed across Africa, Asia, and beyond. In each city he marveled at its people, its customs, its beauty. Yet he did not remain forever; he moved on, gathering wisdom in motion. His life was not diminished by leaving, but enriched by the ability to let go. In this way, his spirit echoed what Waris Dirie declares: that life’s greatness lies in movement, not in permanence.

But Dirie’s own life gives the deepest meaning to her words. Born in Somalia, enduring the cruelties of tradition, she fled her homeland and carved a path across continents. From shepherd girl to model, from victim to activist, she embodied the power to leave what must be left, yet to carry joy in every new land. For her, to enjoy anywhere was not mere luxury, but survival; to leave was not escape, but rebirth. Her words therefore are not only wisdom—they are testimony.

The lesson for us is clear: do not cling to what has ended, nor despair in what is given. Find joy in the present moment, whether grand or humble, and when the time comes, release it without bitterness. Life will ask you to move on—sometimes from places, sometimes from people, sometimes from dreams that no longer serve you. To resist is to suffer; to accept is to grow. This is the secret Dirie offers us: freedom is found in moving forward.

Practically, this means cultivating both gratitude and detachment. Each morning, train your heart to see beauty in small things—the sunlight, a kind word, a task completed. And when change comes, do not cling in fear. Ask yourself: what is this season teaching me? What must I carry, and what must I leave behind? To live this way is to walk lightly, yet deeply, upon the earth, strong in joy and free in spirit.

So let us remember Waris Dirie’s wisdom: life is about moving on. Enjoy where you are, love who you are with, honor what you have—but do not bind yourself with chains of attachment. For the river of life flows ever onward, and only those who can move with it find the freedom to live fully.