#141

How are you stuck?

It’s inevitable that life will throw curve balls at your head, heart, gut and feet.

Sometimes it’s relatively easy to deflect or step over the challenge.

Even if you use the well-worn and universally useful maxim ‘and so it shall pass’ there are times and situations that we find difficult to move from.

Rather than enquire ‘why am I stuck?’ perhaps ask ‘how am I stuck?’.

‘Why’ could take you down the thought-path of explanation, justification or reinforcement of the original narrative whereas ‘How’ can remind us of our agency.

So, next time you feel stuck consider some of these questions to reorientate your thinking and action.

How am I stuck?
How long do I want to be stuck for?
What could I do to move one place to the left, right, ahead or behind?
What am I pretending not to know?
What’s my story?
Is there a different story that would release me?
What would a ‘different/older/younger/braver’ version of me think and do?
What’s the stuck-ness teaching you about yourself?
What would be an easy, no risk thing to do next?
Here's some further articles:

Medium: 18 Really Good Questions to Ask Yourself When You’re Feeling Stuck

Tiny Buddha: 5 Questions to Ask Yourself When You’re Feeling Stuck

 
Question of the week
See above 😊

A series of questions and thought prompts to help start momentum. Asking the questions assumes some internal agency and if you can create some thought movement then by definition you are no longer stuck.

The trick? Remembering to ask the questions when you are stuck.

Quote of the week:
Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Never confuse a moment of stuck-ness with remaining stuck. A moment of stuck-ness needs a little nudge to topple it over. What can you do to nudge the stuck-ness by 1 degree?

 
Freedom Fridays Podcast Episode 82 featuring Sarah Grattan

In celebration of International Women's Day on March 8th, Pete talks to Sarah Grattan (CEO Lifeline Northern Beaches). Sarah has had and continues to have, an extensive leadership career.

Sarah reveals her backstory to getting involved in community leadership and where her ‘bloody-mindedness’ developed and how it’s helped her in previous and current roles.

Revealingly, as CEO of Lifeline Northern Beaches she shares the growth she has experienced in learning how to fully listen. A powerful skill that transcends every role she plays personally and professionally. Tune in to hear how Sarah has build her leadership impact through different challenges.

DONATE NOW to Lifeline Northern Beaches

Lifeline Northern Beaches is a local charity that is part of the national Lifeline network.

Our local services including low-cost face-to-face counselling, support groups, free financial counselling, aged care volunteer visitors and community and workplace training, are in addition to the 13 11 14 telephone line that Lifeline is most well-known for.

You can help Lifeline Northern Beaches provide local services and increase our capacity by helping us to raise funds.

It costs Lifeline $39 to answer a call to 13 11 14 and $98 to provide a one-hour face-to-face session. Your contribution helps us support more people in need.

                                  

                         

That's all for this week. If you’ve been enjoying the Weekly Whispers please feel free to forward it to friends and anyone you think would benefit.

As always, please send me an email at [email protected] to send me your feedback or to let me know your thoughts.

Cheers

Pete