Being stuck and getting in a rut sucks. When I feel caged in or wander off my path, I feel like a little bonsai kitten that’s been forced to grow in a too-small jar.
The horizon gets cloudy. The road is blurred. I have a perma-frown, which is really bad for wrinkles.
Lately, I’ve been wading through thick mud. I’m dragging my boots against the sludge and gradually going deeper.
But I can still wiggle my toes! If I just ease my feet out of the shoes, I can step onto the concrete and take strides to where I need to be. I don’t need someone to reach in with a stick for me to grab. I’m not waiting around to be rescued. And I’m certainly not going to wade any further to see if the mud turns to water.
I got myself into this rut, and by golly, I’m going to get myself out of it!
Even if it’s just a toe wiggle for now. A little taste of freedom. A hint that the best is yet to come.
For that’s all we can do to get back in the saddle. Take a little step. And laugh at ourselves and how easily we holed ourselves in.
Of course, some things we can’t control. People can be mean; jobs can become stifling; accidents happen. We can only loosen our grip on those external forces and let it be.
But our little puddle of mud; the one we stepped or fell into – that is within our realm. That is something we can leap out of. That rut can be old news.
This week, I’m wiggling my toes. I’m making it happen. I’m coming unstuck. And it feels gooooood!
How do you get yourself out of a rut?
