I think the main reason we get stuck is we get too comfortable in one of life’s “holding patterns.” It’s safe and secure in what you might call the “circle of familiarity.” Sometimes we might creep out with a little courage to the edge of that circle, intrigued with stepping it up a notch, trying something new… when BAM! Fear pops up right at the edge in front of our faces… just like the boogeyman.
But just as those scary monsters under our beds were once figments of our wild imagination, so is the fear we feel now as adults.
If you are feeling dissatisfaction is your life, the truth is you already know the answer deep down. You might be asking everyone and their brother “what should I do?” when the reality is, you are simply seeking validation from them for what you already know to be true.
So how do you find the answers to your own questions and identify a starting point to getting unstuck?
Get quiet… or as Martha Beck calls it: “wordlessness.”
Giving our minds a rest and meditating for even a few minutes every day allows our inner guidance to come through loud and clear. If sitting down and meditating isn’t your thing, then go for a run, take a bath, or hop in the car for a drive and turn on some tunes. Do something to get out of your head and into your heart where the answers lie.
A client shared with me that every time she sat down to meditate, the voice in her head would say “give up the alcohol!” She wasn’t an alcoholic but admitted she was using it as a crutch to avoid dealing with anxiety in her work. When she finally listened and had the courage to follow through with feeling her feelings each evening, that is when things quickly began to shift.
What is your inner guide trying to tell you? Maybe it’s “quit beating yourself up” or “let this friendship go” or “get up 30 minutes earlier each morning to workout.”
Whatever it is, you already know it deep down. All it takes is some courage to listen… and take action.
So when your heart is crying out “Say YES to life!” but your head says “Stay right where you are!”… go for it anyway. It might be a bit painful in the short term, but the long-term fulfillment is oh so worth it.
Have a great weekend!
Meg
