I took this photo in Montana back in June, and feel just like this little guy stuck on the wrong side of the fence. In my work I thrive on a creative pulse. It compels me to write or think of new ways to work with my clients. More recently I’ve been art journaling and dabbling in photography… but I seem to be at a stand still with it all. Feeling stuck is an uncomfortable place to be, so the impulse is to get busy. That’s what we’re conditioned to do, right? When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

But this time I’m bagging the hustle to figure it out. I’m staying with the practices that bring me comfort and allow time for reflection. What I notice is the less I push, the more gentle the sting.

One of my primary practices is Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC).   This is about holding the discomfort in awareness without judgment. Boiled down, it’s changing the voice in my head from “What’s wrong with me? I should be able to figure this out!” to “I’m feeling stuck, and this feels hard.” It’s about acknowledging the difficult feelings with kindness and ease. It allows for perspective shift and growth, which is a more gentle way of healing. When I have compassion for myself, it also flows more easily toward others. After all, we have compassion for that sweet little cow, right? We don’t call him names for getting stuck on the other side; we just want to help him get back to his herd.

What do you do when you feel stuck? How can we support ourselves when we’re in this place?  Please share your thoughts!

Also, check out the website link to MSC if you’d like to learn more.

May you live with ease,

Joan

I’ll be co-facilitating an 8-week Mindful Self-Compassion workshop in January with my friend Kathy Elkind. More to come on the specifics of that as we work out the logistics.