What causes us to be stuck in life
When I went to help out in Boulder during the floods, my car got stuck in the mud. It was literally like driving into quicksand. I had to hire a tow truck to bail me out.
Life can often feel like quicksand. We sink and feel stuck. Here are some of the causes that get us stuck in life.
- -lack of purpose. Ancient mariners guided their ships by sexton. This devise would cue up to the north star or other fixed position and give them a bearing of where they were at. But what if the night sky changed position every night? You would be lost. We often live our lives without a north star to follow. What is your north star, your purpose and reason for being?
- -lack of commitment. A good definition of commitment is “making the choice to give up choices”. Since we live in a day and age with a bombardment of choices, it’s getting harder and hard to commit. This lack of commitment keeps us “wishy-washy” and unable to settle in on any one thing. Make a choice and stick with it.
- -lack of movement. The doldrums are lulls at sea where there is absolutely no wind. It is a dead zone, stranding many sailing ships of old. We can find ourselves in the doldrums with little or no movement toward a goal or living life forward. To get moving again takes concerted effort. It’s just getting started on whatever task or goal you have set out for yourself. Getting started is the hardest part.
- -lack of direction. My wife and I got lost once hiking. It was a scary experience. We lost our direction and paid the price. We got our bearings back when we ran across a trail marker giving us direction to where we needed to go next to get back. Making progress means paying attention to 2.1 markers. 1) where you are, 2) where you want to be, and .1) the very next step to get you there.
Towing ourselves out of being stuck takes friends, family, and gritty determination.
What are some other causes that keep us stuck? What have you done to become unstuck?