This past week while I was doing yoga in my living-room, I randomly saw a bird flying outside my window. I marveled at how free the bird seemed as it glided in the air in wide circles continuing to pass right by my window. While I do have a great view, I don’t often see birds flying so close to my window and it kept coming around with its wings spread wide. I spent that yoga session breathing in the calm freedom of the bird and then just forgot about it. Ironically this morning in my yoga class, the wisdom message of the day was about being free like a bird and releasing things that are keeping us stuck. I don’t believe in coincidences anymore. I believe that I get nudged in the direction I need to go, and since I have become more aware, I pay attention to these nudges. When yoga teacher Param Atma Stacey Hirschmann spoke of freeing ourselves like a bird, it rang true because I have been feeling stuck at work and I know it’s time to move on. The image of the bird flying by my window came back into my mind and I felt it was a sign. We often feel we are stuck by things we believe are out of our control but being stuck is in our minds, not our physical bodies. So how do we take a Do Over and get our minds unstuck?
The #1 thing to do is to create a plan. Taking that first step of outlining a plan puts us in control of our minds. There is a great saying: “A goal… without a plan… is just a wish”. It does take effort and courage to acknowledge what is keeping you stuck whether it’s your job, relationship, marriage, weight, finances, kid struggles, and the list goes on. When I am feeling stuck, I feel like I want to physically jump out of my body. Through a health scare, I also learned that life is short, and we get one shot to do the best we can with what we’ve got. I recently took a leap of faith and started working voluntarily in a role that I know is going to be posted in the next 6 months. My goal is that by the time the role is posted, I will already be doing the job. This is in addition to maintaining my current role. If nothing else, I am having fun while learning and growing versus feeling frustrated and stagnant. I have been told that it takes one day to end things that have been dragging us down for years. It usually ends with the word, “ENOUGH”
For parents: Everyone feels stuck at one time or another. Role modeling is the best way to mold your children. If they watch you not accept mediocre and continue pursuing your best life, they will internalize that continuous growing is a normal course of life. Give children the confidence and a platform to share without fear how they want to live their best life. If they are brave enough to discuss these things with you, be supportive and non-judgmental. (In all transparency, I am still working on this.) Our children are often our best teachers.
If you feel stuck and want to join me on the path to becoming unstuck, I am here to help you formulate a plan to take that Do Over.
~Andi
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