Get unglued

I want to bring you a passage today from Five Good Minutes by Brantley and Millstine that offers really wonderful questions for the reflection process that I've discussed before on this blog. Remember, when you work with a reflection question you drop the question into your consciousness as if you were dropping a pebble into a pool of still water. Then you write down whatever bubbles up - without censoring. The idea is to bypass the critical, judging ego and allow a deeper, more spacious part of your consciousness to communicate with you.

Here's an exercise that can help you when you feel stuck:

Everyone has experienced feeling trapped - stuck in a job you hate, trapped in an unhealthy relationship, or confined to a life-style that has you up to your ears in unwanted debt. These are times when you almost feel like you've been permanently glued to something that you can't escape. Take the next five minutes to work on getting unstuck from these pressures. Even if there are no simple solutions to your immediate situation, imagine that there are alternatives just around the corner ifyou are patient and open to receiving them. Contemplate the prospect that you may be happy under a different arrangement. Ask yourself the following questions to get a sense of choices and options:

* "Why do I feel stuck or trapped?"

* "Do I really need these things in order to be happy?"

* "Could I find fulfillment in other ways, given the opportunity?"

* "What small changes could I make now that might slowly give me the space that I need to find more contentment in my life?"

Actually, I recommend spending at least five minutes on each of these questions - then reviewing your responses and interpreting them. If you really want to shift some energy where you're stuck, work with the same questions every day for a week. I have used that approach to my very great benefit.