I buried my truck in the mud last weekend when I mindlessly drove off the pavement and onto the soft shoulder. I probably could have steered back onto the pavement and that would have been that. But for some impulsive reason, I stopped, turned the motor off and hung out with myself and the dark and the crickets. It was neat, sitting there by the side of the road, knowing no one would be driving by at this time of night to interrupt this solitude.
I knew I should focus on getting home and to bed, but I got caught up in the moment and sat there, not really thinking about anything, hanging out. My eyeballs forced me into reality. They were stinging from tiredness, and I realized I needed to get home. So, I turned on the truck motor and shifted gears to move on. The wheels spun. I didn’t move.
Ever gotten stuck when you had the experience to avoid it? #HealthStatus
With 10 years of driving experience in the snow, I had the experience and training to get me out of this mess; but I relied on neither. I gassed the motor and spun those wheels as if sheer determination would win over physics. It didn’t. I stopped and collected myself, then proceeded with a plan of rocking the truck out of its mire. Too little too late. I was stuck.
I realized that what I had done to my truck was pretty much what I had done during my life with food, alcohol, relationships, and a number of other things.
This seemed like kind of familiar territory for me (as a therapist, I have a full time job just analyzing myself.) I realized that what I had done to my truck was pretty much what I had done during my life with food, alcohol, relationships, and a number of other things. Here’s a summary:
How to get stuck:
- Mindlessly drift off track.
- When offered an opportunity to get back on track, ignore it.
- Hang out in dangerous territory.
- When you realize you’re in trouble, attempt to bail yourself out.
- Realize you’re stuck.
Now for some tips on how to get unstuck and stay unstuck, see A State of Stuckness Part 2.
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