Transform "stuck" into authentic action
Do you ever get stuck in a mindset?
Do you ever feel paralyzed by indecision?
Let's talk about how to get back into motivation.
Stuck in the pattern
I like going to the “beginner’s” Aikido class at my dojo on Mondays because I find Aikido really difficult. I make sure to take advantage of that Monday class as a way of handling stress and also having a community of friends.
But this week I was tired, and I had just gotten back from a trip so I decided to stay home. I dozed off, and then woke up from a dream feeling regretful that I hadn't gone to class!
It's kind of a trivial situation, but I felt wound up about it. I couldn't drop it. Should I still try to go to class even if I would miss most of it?
I felt stuck. I was paralyzed between moving on with my night or getting in the car and going to class. It was a familiar pattern that has underlined many difficult moments for me.
Taking discomfort as a gift
I decided that the worst thing I could do was to give in to negativity and stay paralyzed. So I shifted to a new mindset. I made the decision to look for the gift in whatever happened.
I decided to go to class. I accepted the possibility that it would be a waste of time. I also set an intention to remain open to the gift.
I arrived dressed and ready to go, but it was the closing Circle!
But here I saw a gift: I missed class, but I didn't miss the chance for community. As I sat in this closing Circle I felt more present and happy than usual. I had gotten out of my own way.
Then came another gift. As I helped sweep the mats afterwards, a friendly student named Anna asked me if I wanted to stay after class and practice. I said yes.
The gift comes from unexpected places
Anna and I are both novices in Aikido, yet practicing basic moves together was liberating for both of us.
We had more fun than ever, and we learned from each other. We had time to really practice where we were stuck and asked for help from each other.
Her fear of rolling head over heels seemed to vanish. My fear of hurting people vanished too, as we were equally matched and took time to communicate.
After an hour we each learned more from each other than we had for months in class. More than that, I think we each experienced some gentle healing.
This gift was so much more than I could have possibly anticipated. Imagine if I had given up and stayed home!
Practice
If you get stuck in inaction, try asking yourself these questions:
What am I afraid of missing out on?
Can I accept this loss and grieve it instead of fearing it?
What am I excited to create from here?
Where might there be an unexpected gift?
Tracking progress in the Course
For students in the Living in Flow Course, this exercise is from Module 6, Authenticity as Flow. Check out segment 3
(If you're not in the Course yet, you can join for free here.)