Monday morning came too soon. I woke up into thoughts. It was clear to me that I hadn't put the thoughts there. What wise transformed human being would have planted "those" thoughts? It was as though they were waiting for me to wake up so they could blast their way into my brain. I imagine that there have been days like that in your life too.
I wasn't feeling powerful, turned on or eager to bounce out of bed to take on the adventures of the day ahead. I was listening to thoughts about what wasn't working, and furthermore how I didn't know exactly what to do about it. The more the thoughts swirled around, the less enthused I was about getting out of bed to face a day that, based on my thinking, wasn't worth getting out of bed for. I had nothing new and exciting on my calendar that Monday. In fact, the entire week ahead of me showed little promise.
I probably have to create something new. Then came the dreaded "yah buts". Yah but in this mood I'm never going to generate new ideas. Yah but, I really have no idea where to begin looking for new ideas. You know the yah buts don't you? That's the first thing some people say when they are offered a great idea that may eliminate the pain that comes with being blocked. They listen and then say, "yah but" followed by the reasons they can't do that.
Well, on Monday morning I clearly had caught the "yah but" disease, and I knew that the more I listened (to my thinking that is) I could pretty much count on spiraling downward so far that Monday would be lost.
Do you recognize any of these "yah buts"?
- I'm too young
- I'm too old
- I'm not powerful enough
- I don't know enough
- I don't have the energy
- I don't have the money
The bottom line of all the yah buts is they are powerful thoughts that seem like real facts - and they keep us from moving forward. What you are likely saying is "Yah but. You don't understand Alex. They "are" facts. Regardless of our explanation/justification STUCK IS STUCK and it usually doesn't feel good.
Last night I was at a writer's meeting. There were four writers present and surprise, surprise - each of the writers expressed being stuck.
This morning I received a note from a client I have worked with for several months. She is now very clear that in order to replace the pain and suffering she's experiencing with possibility and joy, she has some changes to make. Here's what she wrote. "I just need to be fully ready for the transformation and - to date- I am still too distracted or simply overtired." That's an interesting set of "yah buts".
for
If you're not stuck now, you likely have been sometime in the past. That is part of the adventure of living. It doesn't mean anything negative about you - it merely is a sign that something at that moment is keeping you from moving forward. And regardless of the explanations, justifications or stories you tell about the circumstances or people who are to blame, I am clear that the culprit is the one that stares back at you when you look into the mirror. That's really a good thing because to be honest that's the only person that you have any power over.
And, to be sure, unless what you're really needing is a break, a rest, a time-out and you don't know how to give yourself permission to do that so you invent a block instead - what your heart and soul really calls for is being turned-on and engaged in this glorious adventure called life.
The next Power Byte will address the issue of taking a break, creating a gap, being still and not taking action when it's the right thing to do.