While you are likely a grounded individual deeply rooted in your beliefs, you are obviously not a tree. We know this and yet sometimes we stand still in our ways — frozen in our habits, unable to move. I’ve been there. Small choice after small choice I stayed put when I really (REALLY) wanted to move into a new and better place. Why? Why do we stay put when we desperately want to be somewhere else?
Maybe because the end goal seems unattainable. Maybe because moving seems too hard. Maybe because nobody around us is moving. Or, maybe we envy those making big moves and just doubt our ability to do the same. Maybe we have so many reasons to stay put we can’t count them.
For me, every single time I thought I was "staying put” I was wrong. I was going backward. When I wasn't growing, I was wilting. It’s like "staying put" while you float on a raft in the ocean or lake. You may not be actively moving, but you are still going somewhere. You just aren’t taking control of where.
If you are feeling stuck, please know that you are not alone. Repeat that, “I am not alone.” Make one simple change at a time that moves you. Start a “win” journal. Document those small wins and trust me, they could be ANYTHING that is a simple but positive change for you. My hope is that you find someone (if nobody comes to mind, I'm raising my hand enthusiastically) to make small moves with you, to encourage you, to believe in you, to empathize with your struggle.
Wherever you want to go, please don’t be daunted by the work it will take to get there. Instead, be excited about one small move at a time. Keep it simple. Keep it manageable. Celebrate your success and acknowledge when you aren’t being your best you so that you can be intentional about self-correcting.
It doesn’t matter if you want to move into a more positive place, a more nutritionally fit place, a more physically fit place … no matter where you want to go, it’s up to you to take steps to get there. And you can. You are capable. You are not a tree.
