Waiting for a Sign?
That feeling you have – that nagging thing, somehow letting you know you need a change? What if that’s exactly the sign you’ve been waiting for?
When we’re unhappy with something in our lives and beginning to sense that maybe we’ve outgrown it, it’s easy to fall into the practice of waiting for the perfect time to act, scenario to unfold, or person to come along and tell us exactly what to do. It’s self preservation. This can be more obvious when the situation we’re in is “bad”, but it can also pop up when we’re afraid to move from “fine” to the possibility of better.
We know deep down that changing a current behavior or routine will very likely involve discomfort, so we protect ourselves. We procrastinate. We tell ourselves we don’t have enough information yet in an attempt to avoid responsibility for our situation. We place blame on (hence, give power to) partners, bosses, friends, parents, finances, “the man”… who and whatever we can. We tell ourselves it could be worse, that we’re not suffering too much.
So we bide our time in the discomfort of the familiar, wading in the muck for some mythical figure who “has it all figured out” to show up on a beam of light and show us the way out. Maybe we’re waiting to come across the right book, podcast, product, course, lost ark, or whatever…
If you’re feeling called out right now allow me to be the first to admit guilt here. I’ve waited longer than I could have to experiment with life changes both big and small. Some I’ve sat on for years, contemplating, researching, and intellectualizing, all the while with that feeling in the pit of my stomach.
Maybe you also sense it in your stomach, or as a sort of anxious buzz in your head, or a recurring yet unfocused idea or image you just can’t shake. Consider that thing could be the sign you’re waiting for. Consider that maybe (and this is crazy) YOU are the top authority on your life. Can you allow room for that possibility? That is some scary sh*t! Can you be willing to believe that you are the author of your story from here on out? There still may be twists and turns and you don’t have to know how it all ends. You just have to be willing to begin the next chapter.
There’s almost nothing you can’t undo and come back from, and even less you can’t dip a toe in to test the waters before diving in head first. So listen to that feeling and ask it what it needs. Then go find a pond and get in, and don’t be afraid of a little belly flop.
Share with us!
Where are you feeling stuck? In what small way could you “dip your toe in” and test the waters of change?
Until next time,
Chris
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