Here are 9 things to remember for those occasions when
you’re feeling stuck. Save this list and refer back to it as needed, because it
can be hard to see your way out when you’re right in the thick of it.
1. Acknowledge
and accept that you are feeling stuck.
We all know when we are stuck but sometimes it can be hard
to accept. Being stuck is an inner feeling. It feels stagnant, demotivating,
and even oppressive. Perhaps this is why it can be so hard to admit when we’re
feeling stuck. Yes, it’s uncomfortable and can lead to feelings of sadness and
depression… but, so what? Welcome to the feeling spectrum of life! Let yourself
be in the ‘stuckness’ without resisting it. Shift your relationship by being
aware of it without judgment. Once we can acknowledge that we are feeling
stuck, it is then that we have the power to get ourselves unstuck.
2.
Being stuck is a feeling that comes from within.
When we feel stuck, often our first instinct is to look
outside of ourselves for somewhere (or someone) to blame. In reality, we ought
to be looking at how we’re feeling, what we’re thinking, and how we plan to
respond. Your life is your responsibility. While you can’t always change what’s
outside of you, you can certainly change your perception of it. And the funny
thing is, when you change the way you look at things, the things themselves
begin to change.
3.
Being stuck is often a symptom.
It is a symptom that your life is about to change, or that
an internal change is needed. It could be a change of heart or even just a
change of perspective. But the point in either case is that what you are doing
is no longer working for you. Imagine yourself as a river, flowing into a great
ocean. Often, a river grows narrower and appears to lack movement, just before
it breaks through to the larger body of water. The same happens to us as we
prepare for a breakthrough. Our flow must contract before it can expand. And
the contraction is equally important to the expansion.
4.
Being stuck serves a spiritual purpose.
Like all times of stillness, it is fertile ground for
transformation to occur. Being stuck is an invitation to grow. We know that
what worked before no longer works and it’s up to us to see where we can open
up and let go. If the point of life is the same as the point of a story, then
the point of life is character transformation.
5.
Don’t waste your white space.
This is your opportunity to grow – a time for introspection
and reflection. So don’t waste it! Just because you don’t think anything is
going on in your life, doesn’t mean the Universe is not at work. Don’t
underestimate the times in your life when it seems like you’re not moving
forward. Think of the white space as your garden in preparation for your
blossoming. What is occurring IN you is just as important, if not more
important, than what is happening THROUGH you. Anyone can grow horizontally as
they acquire more and more material things. But it takes courage to grow
vertically, deeper and deeper into yourself. This kind of growth is far more
rare. And it’s the only growth that really counts.
6. Life
is not a story about you.
This is one of the hardest lessons for people to learn. But
once you understand it, it can be incredibly freeing. This is not your story. Life
is not about you. Rather, you are part of a much larger story, one in which you
are not in control. You don’t know the theme, the climax, or resolution. You
are one of many characters. So let go, and enjoy the ride. Believe that you are
exactly where you’re supposed to be. Trust that life will reveal answers at the
pace which life wishes to do so. While you feel like running, the Universe may
be on a stroll.
7. Let
go of others’ opinions.
Care about what others think and you will always be their prisoner.
Your freedom lies not in the physical space around you, but in your mind. As
long as you cling to other people’s definitions of truth, beauty, and
happiness, you will always be chained. Thoughts that begin with, “I have to…”
or “I really should…” reveal where we feel most obligated to direct our energy.
Write your own definitions. Finish your own sentences. Find your own way. And
most importantly, listen to your spirit. It knows what you need.
8.
Tomorrow could be your last day.
So what are you waiting for? Often when we are stuck, we’re
secretly waiting for something to happen. We wonder when the winds will change
in our favor. We do this, instead of embracing the present as it is and
acknowledging the change that needs to occur within us. What is keeping you
from moving forward? If not fear and anxiety, then what? Insecurities? Comfort?
Laziness? What is your excuse? We all have one; whether we are cognizant of it
or not. And when we begin to make more excuses then we do steps, we fall into
the familiar pit called “Stuck”.
9.
You’re not as stuck you might think.
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