It was time again to pull a card from my “Gateway” card deck. It is not that I felt uninspired, but I needed to find the direction. The card I pulled may not only fit my situation, but I could imagine that it speaks to quite a few of you.

How often do we feel constrained in evolving circumstances? It happens when the life we have led so far has been lived through. By that, I mean it no longer holds any substance for growth. It becomes monotonous and possibly runs only in stereotypes that have lost their appeal. Likewise, the opposite can become the probably greater or at least more quickly recognized challenge. Increasing pressure from outside, be it in the job, in dealing with certain people, in relationships, in accidents that have consequences on different levels, and generally in sudden turns arising from outside. Suddenly one MUST deal with things and can no longer rest in the perhaps not so unloved routine. One of the best examples is certainly the current Corona situation in hospitals. Especially in Austria, everything has recently come to a head for the nursing staff to the point of unbearable. Many are thinking of quitting while they are more needed than before.

But what shall be done? It is not always easy to just take your jacket and leave. You may feel responsible for others too that are affected by your decision. And, to be honest, maybe that is the reason why you actually are in this situation: Your thoughtfulness, your caring, you having the job you are in – because you do mind! Nobody can get judged for giving up when the pressure gets too heavy – most of all when a person cannot see the end of the overwhelming situation on the horizon.

But whether you feel constrained by a boring life or an overwhelming one, both can lead to burnout and physical and emotional damage. At some point, you have to take a step back and look at everything from a distance to get clear about fundamental questions: Do I actually love what I do? Why am I doing what I am doing? Is the current situation just temporary, or is it growing more and more into something I no longer fit into? Can I overlook the current situation, or do I feel like I am completely in the wrong place? Only the individual can make these decisions. There is usually a lot around them to consider as well. No matter how crazy everything around you seems to be, take time for yourself to go within. Because doing nothing is only a limited solution.

Whatever the decision will be, it needs to be made consciously and not out of resignation. Only then, you have the necessary strength and energy to pull through or to stand up for alternatives or changes. Sometimes it doesn’t even need a change in your job or relationship but a change in your attitude. Maybe you only need to check who you used to be and who you are today. We often forget that we need to implement change into our lives since the world keeps revolving. We cannot stay where we were ten years ago – no matter how hard we want it. We need to go from where we are standing right now.

Find the time to let your heart speak.
Find clarity in you.
Stand up for yourself and overcome inner and/or outer barriers.
As always, they only show up because there needs to be a change –
either in- or outside.

In Love and Light