I'm wondering this morning, how am I finding you? What's new in your world since we last spoke?
Recently I was talking to a friend who can't seem to shake where she is, doing the same thing day after day. Her anxieties seem to be all-consuming. She feels discouraged and most of all stuck-- our word of the week.
Stuck is defined as firmly positioned in place and difficult to dislodge.
What's the good news in stuck? There's not a lot, truly if you see stuck at its face value. You can easily go down the "woe is me/ woe is the world" and stay stuck in mental agony for a very long time.
But, as Parker Palmer writes in his book Courage to Teach, “We cannot see what is “out there” merely by looking around. Everything depends on the lenses through which we view the world. By putting on new lenses, we can see things that would otherwise remain invisible.”
I want to propose to you that perspective can help you get un-stuck.
As I write this, I'm noticing how brilliant the hues of pink in the sun setting outside my window.
I'm noticing how I just took a breath and then another one. My heart is still ticking.
And while I might dread long nights (thank you to my baby son for that), still the sun rises in the morning. I notice that good is always possible at the beginning of new day.
All of these things are gratitudes I would have never experienced if I hadn't just stopped to notice.
You see, to notice your perspective often gives you a new one. A new perspective can move you along.
In all of this, I'm not asking you to ignore the grief that is present in your life. You ARE dealing with some hard stuff! But rather, I am saying whatever heavy thing is on your plate, being stuck doesn't have to be the WHOLE story of your life.
God is present. Good is all around you. No matter how lonely you feel, somebody cares about you! I do. There is always something you can do to be of service.
So, I'm wondering how can you free up some mental space this week to notice what you might have overlooked? How can you get un-stuck in your thinking and living?
XO
Elizabeth
P.S. Here's something I wrote about an experience of feeling stuck in my life. I'd love to share it with you to give you hope as well.
