Overcoming Obstacles in Your Life With (Non) Action

Do you sometimes feel like your life is filled with perspiration rather than inspiration? You're working, working, and working some more, but nothing seems to get done and you seem to be going nowhere. It's like you're stopped in traffic on the interstate of your life. If you're like me, you're pounding on the horn, riding the tail of the car in front of you, and using some unsavory or downright ugly language in your impatience to get a move on.

There may be no evidence of external movement in your life but the engine in your car is still running and things are still in motion. In fact, the internal workings of your car are pretty impressive if you throw the hood up and take a look or slide under the car for a different view. (Don't try this in traffic, okay??)

My point? Much more is going on and shifting in our lives than we are ever aware of, and perhaps we need to sit still for a bit to let it all sink in. Perhaps we need to sacrifice our societal addiction to speed and constant motion, and take a little breather. (Now doesn't that sound enticing for a change??)

When you've been relentlessly pounding away at a project or goal, perhaps the best thing you can do when you keep encountering the same obstacle over and over is just sit it out. There's a reason for resistance--It's a clear sign that a) we need to change our approach and keep moving in the same direction; or b) we need to change direction altogether.

You've heard the old adage, "When one door closes, another opens." That's swell, but what if you need to forget about doors altogether and look for a way to tear walls down or climb up on the roof? What if you need to consider a completely different possibility, one which will be fruitful rather than frustrating?

Obstacles and resistance are your clue that you need to slow down, reevaluate, reassess, and then take appropriate action. Otherwise, you may push through, forcing a solution while running over everything and everyone in your path.

Please remember that doing nothing or waiting is also ACTION! Anyone who has lived through a hurricane will tell you that. You've got to wait out the eye and its aftermath—-If you start moving too soon, you'll likely be hurt or even killed.

So the next time you find yourself facing some kind of obstacle or resistance in your life—-you want to make things happen but they just aren't, you're unable to overcome your own resistance to something, or someone else is putting obstacles in your path—-take a breather, go to a safe space, and ask, "What do I need to do to wait this out?" Either the obstacle will melt away on its own and the traffic of your life will start moving again or you'll dream up an alternate route, perhaps even a detour that leads you to an incredible destination you never imagined possible!

One thing is sure--You won't get anywhere if you succumb to road rage and get angry about the obstacle in your path. Instead, pause, take a deep breath, and let your mind clear. Then the path you are to take will become clearer than ever, all because you had the patience, fortitude, and grace to wait.