Jason woke late and quickly showered. Almost forgot his wallet as he ran out the door for the bus. He was late for a meeting with the boss. Cathy, his wife, piled the kids in the car, lunches in her hand and took off down the road. The kids ran in just as the bell sounded. Cathy sat on the motorway for half an hour. Does this mirror how your life is in the mornings? Every morning? Are you stuck like in the film ‘Groundhog Day’ doing the same old routine like mice in a maze? How much is your life like Cathy and Jason?
Jason’s meeting was over. He looked at his phone. It was lunchtime already. He grabbed a sandwich, iPad and phone. Oops! He forgot the Cleary file so back to get it. Cathy arrived at work to find someone stole her car spot. Ten minutes looking for a new one, grabbed her things and into the office. Forgot the phone on the dash – back to the car.
Busy day for Jason and Cathy filled with meetings and deadlines. Cathy left early to get the kids, dropped one at soccer, filled the car, collected gift for the Saturday party only to arrive home a little rattled. Three rowdy kids dashed to the kitchen, grabbed snacks and up the stairs. Showers and noise followed by homework. Cathy reached for chocolate and coffee as she started cooking dinner. Meanwhile Jason hassled the crowds and the bus home, shared a quick dinner, kids off to bed, stacked the dishwasher and collapsed in front of the TV. Ten-thirty pm, early start tomorrow so off to bed for them both.
Does this sound familiar? Is this how your life seems sometimes? Day in, day out? Are you trapped by your routines and longing for something different? Chasing your tail perhaps in a job you don’t like, in a relationship that is stifling, in the concrete city when you long for the country? What keeps you there? How long have you been stuck? Is it week or years?
Being stuck is not something people do by choice although each of us is responsible for the choices we make. None of this is a conscious choice. No-one would choose to be stuck however quite often the way we live our lives, our belief system, hold us locked into patterns that are negative and don’t serve us in any way. Many of us don’t realise that we simply need to step off the treadmill, not catch that bus one day, take a different street, choose a different town, put some healthy boundaries in place or simply just say, ‘No’. No to our families, bosses, kids, friends and even to ourselves to adopt healthier values and a healthier lifestyle to make us happy. When will you step off the treadmill? What choice can you make today…right now to empower yourself and be free? Start with something simple. One step at a time.
