869106866_5661cc9c13_m.jpgWhere do you begin when you feel like you’re under a mountain? Maybe it’s paper work, house cleaning, yard maintenance, clutter. Maybe it’s grief, loneliness, or hurt. How do you get out from under it all?

Begin with attitude. If you think it’s impossible, you close the door to opportunity and support. If you think it’s useless to even try, then no matter what you do, it won’t make a difference.

  • As you think, so will you experience.
  • Tell yourself this too will pass. After every night, the day returns. Storms blow over. Arguments dissipate. Wounds heal. Life returns.

Choose to experiment. Choose to try.

  • Take one small step: clean off a counter top, sort a stack of mail, mow the lawn. Call a friend or clarify a misunderstanding.
  • Buy flowers for yourself.
  • Set priorities and make a short list. Give yourself permission to work on just one thing at a time. Give yourself some space — get it reasonably done, not perfect.
  • Reward yourself with time off to read a book or take an extra long walk.

Reach out to accept the invitations and support coming your way. There are wonderful people all around you willing to help. Ask and receive. They can’t read your mind. Let them know when you need a lift or a helping hand.

  • Be gentle with yourself and them. Know that if they are busy and not available, this is not a personal rejection of you.
  • Be patient and nonjudgmental. If they do things differently than you do, graciously accept their help. When ever possible, let go of your own sensitivities that border on perfectionism. There is more than one way to accomplish many things.

Return the favor. Return the kindness of a phone call, lunch out together, or an email to see how someone else is doing.

  • Ask how you can help without looking for anything for yourself.
  • Give what you can without expecting anything in return.

It all works out. Every small step is better than doing nothing. Every effort is an attempt to move on. And when you get to the top of the hill, you will remember these days and wonder why you were so anxious or hopeless. Didn’t you know this too would pass?

Janice M. Puta
Spirituality mentor and energy practitioner: www.OurSpiralJourney.com
Author of Pathways: Tales for the Spiritual Seeker
Free Preview: www.OurSpiralJourney.com/pathways

Responses

What an excellent reminder that small and simple steps can dramatically shift perspective. When I feel overwhelmed, I know it’s time to sit quietly and tune in to whatever impulse I receive. It may be to take some action, or it may just be to sit a while longer, listen to music, or call a friend. This impulse alone restores my faith in my own inner wisdom.

Thanks, Dana, for sharing your process for connecting with your inner wisdom. We all intuitively have this inner resource. Remembering to use it is the biggest awakening step in our lives. May your journey be lighter and your tasks easier because you take the time to listen.
Jan