When it is absolutely apparent that one must move on how does one cope?

My heart feels like it's being shredded into a hundred billion, trillion pieces. When i was young i was told of the mother sea, it is the primary environments you find yourself in daily, aside from family life. One must choose wisely the sea which we complete the journey. Generally there's two kinds of seas: the dark & turbulent sea, and the sea of tranquility. I have felt for a very long time now, that i am in the wrong sea. Early on, there were many clues that i uncovered that warned of the waters that i traveled on. Twisting, turning, violent waters. I know that there is a sea out there that is agreeable to me. When that realization is made, how does one cope when you discover the dark sea is beginning to influence you?