Getting Unstuck

We have all had times in our lives when we feel stuck in a cycle or a routine, feeling powerless to do something different or make a change.  We keep repeating the same behaviors we’ve been doing because they feel safe and comfortable, and we feel scared to try something new.  We want to do something different, but some invisible tether seems to be holding us back and anchoring us right where we are.  We feel like things will never change and things will always feel this way. 

So how do we unstick?  What are the tools we need for momentum and change?  Sometimes in the therapy office, there comes a point where clients say, “just tell me what to do.”  In full transparency, I said this very thing to my therapist this week!  I mean, what an easy way out of stuckness to just have someone else fix it.  But if we look to others for all the answers, we are short-changing the wisdom and discernment each of us possesses.  And if we keep sitting in stagnant swampy waters, numbing out with food, alcohol, and scrolling TikTok, we numb out the pain we need that gives us momentum and insight. 

Progress doesn’t always look like a lightbulb flashing or a fireworks display.  Sometimes it looks bedraggled and threadbare.  Change might be immediate, but it also might be the slowest climb you’ve ever felt.  And you already know the path to get there.  It’s the courage and vulnerability to sit with the discomfort and painful thoughts, to invite them in and get to know them.  It’s the discipline to keep choosing the things you do that keep you present and connected, whether that’s a hike in the woods, art you create, conversations with friends, or waking up early for peace and a cup of coffee.  And when you repeatedly choose those things, you create a new road map that says “here’s the way forward.  This way, my love.”  It is in the pain and discomfort that we learn the most about ourselves when we are ready to choose it.

Peace to you on your journey,

Cassie