Obstacles In Your Path

I remember a short animated film called A Rock In The Road in which travelers would bump into a rock as they were walking down a path. The lesson was of course to go around the rock. And that works with many physical obstacles and barriers. Sometimes one must adapt, adjust or compensate in some way, but much of the time there are ways of getting around some restriction or limitation.

But what if the roadblock is inside of you, in your head. A psychological obstacle may be trickier to sidestep. Perhaps one does need outside help of one sort or another from time to time. This might come in a number of forms, a wise and empathetic friend, a formally trained mental health professional, or maybe someone who is intuitive by nature, someone who may or may not be describe themselves as a psychic or reader of various tools of divination.

Many of us who have at times opened ourselves to such help in the past still have the basic disposition of a do-it-yourselfer. We like and often need to try figuring things out for ourselves, but we can get stuck and remain in that state for long periods of time. The worst case scenarios set in when we really see no hope, no way out. Yet still we remain, basically doing nothing or almost nothing other than performing the most basic and essential of life functions. We tend to do what we have to in order to stay alive, but not much more.
We want out of our situation, and find ourselves feeling more and more lost and hopeless as time goes on.

The short, quick answer to everything is move on, and we know that, but how to actually get into motion and sustain that effort is the key question. Some would say stop thinking so much and just do something, but that is particularly difficult for some of us whose faith in our own abilities have been shattered or at the very least diminished. We don't trust ourselves any longer. And we slip closer to the edge of our own abyss even as we hang on, all the while knowing deep down that letting go and getting back on our path or setting out on some new course are really the only ways out. Some of us might well be able to soar if we tried, but we've forgotten that we ever could. We've become so grounded by the struggles and frustrations of daily life.

We may well feel trapped, and that there really is no way out our around something, but somewhere deep inside we still understand that it doesn't need to be this way. That smoldering ember, can grow into a flicker of hope, and then a flame of genuine strength. It can. And even at our lowest points there may be an ebb and flow, a periodic rising and falling of our emotional tides and strength. Those who understand what is being said here, understand and can see these changes. Old time sailors set out with a rising tide. We can improve out chances of freeing ourselves when we attend to these opportunities. There are subtle ups and downs even when we are at our lowest. Reading these, reading ourselves and understanding that we know ourselves better than anyone else can give us strength. If we make a plan and then execute it, even when there may be some inevitable changes in course or other distractions, we can get moving again.

When the wind has been taken from your sails, it is difficult to remain hopeful indefinitely, but soft gentle breezes do still reappear from time to time, for each of us. These can serve as reminders of something more which is yet to come. Pay attention and begin to get yourself ready for when opportunities do return.

And don't be afraid of accepting help from a fellow traveler. Yes, there are many scavengers who prey upon those they see as vulnerable, but if your thoughts have cleared, and if your have begun to prepare, you will know if they are friend or fo.