At the top of my list of torturous experiences is the feeling of being stuck. It comes in a variety of forms and I hate them all: the feeling of being mired in the mud, becalmed at sea, lost in the woods, empty, flat, numb and dumb. I hate the repetitive Sisyphus routine, or the paralysis induced by too many uninspiring options.
I hate being stuck and yet I know it well. I am a double Capricorn living in lockstep with Saturn (AKA Cronus/Father Time) after all. So I’ve become a bit of an expert at dealing with the stuck situation. I start by giving your experience an image. I answer the question: “What is this like?”
For example, a few mornings ago I woke up feeling paralyzed and despairing, full of my usual worries. My to-do list was long—too long–but I wasn’t sure that any of the items were truly worth bothering with. The day stretched out in front of me. “It’s like my house is on fire,” I thought, “and nothing I can do will save it.”
I sat with that image for a minute and felt the feeling it evoked. Yep, the burning house was this morning’s version of “stuck,” a combination of desperation and inertia. And yet… if my house really was on fire I would do something. I would protect what I valued most. I’d call for help. And I would do whatever I could to douse the flames, no matter how small the bucket or short the hose.
Now I had an inkling of how to proceed.
James Hillman writes that the way we imagine our lives is the way that we’ll live our lives. This is true of the big picture, of the life story you tell and its overarching mythos, and it is true of every moment, every experience. Your reality begins with image.
What are you dealing with right now and what is it like? What image comes to mind?
Drawing a picture can be really great even if it’s as amateurish as the one that I’ve included in this post. The power comes from your willingness to give the image significance and let it work on you.
Post a comment or email me and let me know how this works for you.
Julie
I live in that burning house. In the time before I sleep I have countless fantasies about creative projects that would be so cool yet when I am faced with a new day, I feel mired in molasses and full of hopelessness. I will try drawing a picture of this feeling!