“Whatever is flexible and flowing will tend to grow.”~Tao Te Ching
The other day I was stuck. Stuck in my mindset. Stuck in what I already “knew.” Stuck in old behaviors. It was backfiring on me big time. I was running into problems, conflicts, and frustration. My energy was low; I was distracted; I was annoyed. And I wondered why.
We all get stuck at times…and those are the times to stop whatever we’re doing and walk away. To take a break. To breathe. Perhaps to get a snack…but simply to distract ourselves.
When we get stuck it is often because we are refusing to go with the flow and to flex to what is around us. When I felt stuck the other day I realized that I was digging my heels in and choosing to get annoyed at my colleagues and frustrated by my surroundings.
It is a choice, and we can always choose to stay caught in that place or to move on. We always have the choice to be more flexible – to be less stuck. I’ve found that my life and my work work best when I allow myself to flex and flow with the way things are, and try less to make them be what I want them to be. I’ve watched my clients achieve this as well. When they are more able to flex with things as they are, they are more likely to achieve their goals. When they stay stuck and inflexible…they stay stuck.
When we get caught in the way we know things “should” be, or think our answers are the only answers, we stop ourselves from learning and growing. We stop ourselves from flexing and flowing with what is. We cause ourselves unnecessary pain and frustration. When we remember to breathe, to slow down, and to aim more for going with what is, we get unstuck. We feel better. We begin to grow.
Choose one area of your life and play with being more flexible. Dig in a little less, flow a little more, and see what happens.
Where are you stuck? Where can you be more flexible and flowing?
Please leave a comment.
If you enjoyed this post, you can read more like it in our book, The Power of Thoughtful Leadership: 101 Minutes To Being the Leader You Want To Be, available on Amazon.
For support in finding ways you can be more flexible and flowing, contact Lisa at lkohn@chatsworthconsulting.com.
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