We can’t always control where we are in a moment.
You could, for example, be reclining in a lounge chair, umbrella laced drink in hand, staring into a turquoise hued pool and still be tormented by worries and untamed thoughts.
You could just as easily be sitting in a tiny room packed with physical clutter, assaulted by outside noises and filled with mental claustrophobia.
Either situation can understandably lead one to feel the following statement repeatedly:
“Get me out of here NOW!”
We’ve all been through it. The place where we reside feels to us like a personal attack. We don’t deserve it. We didn’t ask for this. More importantly, how do we escape from this unintentional imprisonment? How do we turn paradise from personal hell?
To push through whatever you’re going through right now, you don’t have to physically move. You can hate where you are and find pockets of peace. That’s how you get toward happiness. Your situation doesn’t necessarily have to change. But you will have to.
“If, amidst the turmoil, you can find just one moment of peace in each day, then your whole life will become more joyful. Like the water in a lake, when your mind is calm, you can see the depths below.” — Ed and Deb Shapiro
It’s no secret that life is hard or that things don’t happen the way we want it to. But the people who exude happiness and joy are the ones that travel further than the silver lining. They work hard to see beyond the vision in front of them. They look for the inspired present-the place just ahead of where they are now.
Feeling stuck too?
What to Do in the Short-Term
Do something about it! If it’s your confining house, toxic roommate, or your noisy neighbor that’s getting to you, make it a point to get out of the house. Immerse yourself in inspiration. Visit a museum, walk to the beach, meditate. And those voices that tell you, “You don’t have time or money to do it?” Tell them to take a hike literally. You’re taking care of yourself. The more time you invest in lifting your spirits, the faster it’ll take to get you away from your current difficult situation into peace.
What to Do in the Long-Term
Your situation can temporarily change once you get yourself out of the rut. But you’re going to have to do something more long-lasting and permanent if you really want to create ripples of positive change. Start by creating a list of what you do want and then write steps on how you’re going to get it. Don’t hold back or censor yourself because you think “it will never happen” or “it’s impossible.” Dreams come true every day. Why? Because someone believed enough in them to follow through.
The bottom line is that nothing lasts forever. No matter how dreadful you feel in this moment, it will pass. In the meantime, don’t make it more torturous than it has to. There is always joy to be had in every dark corner. But remember…it’s up to you to bring the light to the shadows.