Obstacles

If you find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere.
-Frank A. Clark. https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/obstacles

Okay!  That story came out of me rather quickly and I am not sure if I should apologize to you or my ego for it lol.  In my defense, it made some valid points in an odd way. 

Being stuck, mental ruts, complicated life situations, problems, burn out or depression...whatever you see it as...creates a wall in our lives that we can not seem to get over or around. 

We usually begin by resisting it , "cursing' it for being in the way or for  stopping our brain dead momentum that we 'assumed' was taking us somewhere. In resistance to what is, we express internally and externally how unfair it all is, how it 'shouldn't be' etc.  and we struggle against the wall which is the present moment we are in. We want to get to some elusive place that exists in the future and therefore do not appreciate being stuck in the moment that is less than appealing by this 'obstacle'. 

After resisting we may decide to wait...we wait for someone or something outside ourselves to happen, to make it all better.  Maybe we are relying on circumstances changing, on people changing and giving us what we want.  Maybe we are relying on drugs like antidepressants to make it all better. Maybe we are waiting for specialists to take us seriously enough to help us get better. We can wait for the universe or others to come in to rescue us. The point is we wait for something outside of ourselves to tear down the wall so we can go on with our momentum. We can wait a long, long time. Again this is all based on externals...If we believe the cause of the problem is external, therefore the solution has to be.

Eventually we have to realize that it is up to us.  We are responsible for getting to the other side.  Sure we can use some help and support but the 'doing' is ours.

Can we climb the wall? Well if you are in a good enough rut, probably not. The wall may be tall and we may be very, very tired.  The mere idea of scaling the wall to get over it  is fatiguing.  So much so it seems impossible to begin.

What about getting around it? Maybe we have pondered and pondered ways to get around the wall or maybe our minds are too tired to problem solve.  Usually if we are stuck we do not see the way around the problem either . So getting  up and over or around the wall may require way too much effort and energy that we do not feel we have.

In frustration, we may attempt to resist and struggle against the barrier again...only exhausting ourselves even more.

So when that fails what do we do?  We may then deny the barrier and the impact it has on our lives.  We may settle into the rut /the life on this side of the wall...making it our comfort zone. That may keep us safe and somewhat 'content' but it isn't really living, is it?  As soon as we stop expanding, growing, moving forward...we are stuck as stuck can be.

Hmmm! So resisting, waiting, climbing over or around  and finding comfort in denial is not going to work to get us out of this rut,  right?

What do we need to  do?

We need to listen to the inner wisdom that comes in the silence.  Say what???  We just get still and quiet, stop spinning those darned tires and just listen to the wisdom that is within.  That old lady by the way was meant to represent the woman's/my inner wisdom...just in case you didn't get that one lol.

Ask the questions, ponder the answers.  See what comes up.

Usually what we will find is that the only way beyond a wall is to  go through it.  We have to accept that it ...whatever it is (the problem, the circumstance, the mental rut, the negative thinking, the illness, the depression) is there in front of us.  We do need to accept it and experience it. 

Then we need to  pick our way through it.  Take one small action after another. May seem like it will take forever and it is as tedious and challenging as digging a tunnel with a spoon but we do need to take one small action at a time.

Each little effort we make to get through it is going to heal us in some way.  We are trying! We are moving forward.

We will get through whatever it is, as long as we do not allow ourselves to stay stuck.  That part is up to us!

All is well.