Spinning Our Wheels

Sometimes no matter how hard we try, we just don’t have the power to gain traction and dig ourselves out of a rut. As the owner of a small car in Ontario, who can’t really afford snow tires, I know this all too well. When I’m spinning my wheels (thereby making things worse), it can really be disheartening to see the lack of progress. Sometimes, if I’ve got the presence of mind, I’ll remember to gear down and take it slower. More likely, I’ll remember that rocking the car to build up momentum can help me get over the edge and into the clear. When neither of those things work, however, I have to rely on someone else to give me a push. Be it a helpful passerby, a passenger on my journey, or a friend who is willing to show up to help out, there are just some ruts I can’t get out of on my own.

Moving this problem to the metaphoric, I’ve been running up against old bad habits and emotional lows for the last few weeks, one of which will feed off the other in a never ending cycle. I’ve tried to slow down and take things easy. I’ve tried switching between work and play, rewarding work with play in an attempt to promote a healthier, more enjoyable outlook. I’ve even tried pushing myself just a little harder, to see if I could keep going through the worst of it. All that does is cause me to freeze up entirely.

There’s only one solution I haven’t tried. I need to ask for help. I’m not even sure of what kind of help I need, but starting today I’m going to make an attempt to open up to the people around me and see what a little outside influence will do. I’m starting here. If you have any comments or suggestions for me, please feel free to send them along. The comment button is below, or you can reach me at blog.nextstep@gmail.com. I’ll be happy to hear from anyone, and also if there’s something you feel I can help you with, or a question you have, send those along too. We’ve all got flaws and problems. It’s hard to admit it, but unless we do, we’ll never improve.

Next I’ll be asking my friends and family for support, which I should have done a long time ago. It’s just so much harder to open up to someone I care about rather than a complete stranger. I have no personal investment in what a stranger might think of me, but the possibility of disappointing someone who cares about me is scarey.

Finally, I’ll think long and hard about what’s worthwhile in my life, and what I might need to change sooner, rather than later. I know I’m being vague and mysterious here, but nobody said I had to tell my dear readers everything. Here’s wishing you all have smooth dry pavement on your travels, but if you hit a bump and get stuck in a rut, remember to slow down, think about what you’re doing, and ask for help if you need it.

Thanks for reading,

-Step.