Life is a journey, a continuous stream of events and beats, each building upon the next like a symphony.

Seamless and tricky and beautiful.

But sometimes, we get stuck.

We run without looking and deposit ourselves into a well. We move so slowly that we lose all momentum. We take a wrong turn.

We get lost.

Humans thrive upon forward movement, and stagnation (even the illusion of it) makes us uncomfortable. We panic, sinking deeper into a gelatinous depression, watching the rest of the world pass us by.

When there is no light at the end of the tunnel, it’s hard to find the way out. The following tools can help you to free yourself:

1. Journal.

Use writing as a meditation to get to the root. It doesn’t matter if the writing is longhand or tapped out on a computer keyboard, as long as we explore the hard places. We must discover what’s making us sticky. Bills? A job? A relationship?  A belief? An addiction? The weather? When we name that which weighs us down, it loosens its grip. Each of us possesses the ultimate power. We will not be surprised if we know what is there.

2. Ask the questions that need to be answered.

Write them down, too. How should I make a living? Where should I live? Who should I live with? What do I change? How do I get to where I want to be? We can’t intellectualize our way into most answers, especially when the questions are knotted and tangled with layers of emotions and assumptions. That’s fine. Sit with the questions. Share them with trusted advisers.

3. Be still and wait.

Rarely does metaphysical paralysis last forever. Ride the wave and try not to fall over. Keep asking questions. The answers are out there.

4. Do things that make you feel good after doing them, even if you don’t want to do them.

Take a shower. Get dressed. Brush your teeth and hair. Go for a walk. Touch your toes. Go dancing. Take a yoga class. See your friends, and talk to them.

5. Look for signs.

Do the same opportunities keep showing up in different forms? Does something specific seem to repeatedly appear? Do the synchronicities line up in any discernible pattern at all? Though we must be open to receiving signs, once we start seeing them, they are everywhere. The universe is whispering to us.

6. Don’t turn to screens for comfort.

They will suck up time and energy and give nothing in return. Don’t check  email obsessively or watch the news or finish a movie when it’s boring or rifle through the photos of a stranger just to procrastinate on what it is you actually want to be doing—writing a book; baking a cake; starting a business; running a mile.

7. Stop waiting.

Yes, this is a direct contrast to number three. I offer no apologies for this paradox, only awe. Seek a balance between acting and waiting, accepting and letting go. We must stop waiting to start what we’ve always wanted to do simply because the outcome is uncertain. Everything is volatile, whether we realize this now or when we die.

We are here to do what we want each day. Then we will know that we are living.

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Editorial Assistant: Pamela Mooman / Editor: Renée Picard

Photos: Flickr, Wikipedia Commons