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The Power of Zooming Out and Zooming In
Changing your perspective can mean a change in your life
No matter how self-aware and mature you might be, it is possible that life throws you a curve-ball that you can’t handle, and you freeze.
I usually take pride in my persistence and grit and I know that if I put my mind to anything, I can do it. What I wasn’t ready for — for some odd reason — is that can come a time when I simply don’t feel like putting my mind to it.
Feeling stuck is worse than failing.
This year started in a weird way, and I hit a new low. Regardless of how well my job and writing were going, I hit a wall and I just didn’t know what to want. As is the rug was yanked under my feet and I was in a slow-motion free-fall. Not knowing what to do, not exactly hitting the ground even.
It was the worst kind of limbo that you can imagine.
I had had a grandiose plan of moving to another city, another country — starting a new life. I have been planning it for months, with dreamy eyes and with cold pragmatism. I was taking on extra projects to make more money and to assure financial stability. Planning and dreaming became my life. I put my real life on hold — because I was going to start over anyway.
But then, an unexpected event stopped the whole process. And in 2 minutes I went from having a life-goal to not having anything. I didn’t have a plan B. I didn’t have another dream. I felt that I was stuck — and nothing made sense anymore.
There are all kinds of curveballs that can hit you — some are more significant with a bigger impact, some are smaller but they might find you in an otherwise unbalanced state when anything can unsettle the fragile setup.
The problem with unsettling situations is that we get caught up in the middle of it. It overwhelms us and overloads our senses. It evokes self-pity and it clouds our judgement. The whole world seems to be against us — and suddenly nothing makes sense.
We didn’t deserve this. We didn’t ask for this. We are not prepared and we can’t be strong anymore to deal with this too.
Maybe it is the hundredth little thing that drives you close to a nervous breakdown…
