Stuck in the Familiar



I think that we can all relate to the idea of being stuck or in a rut. This excerpt from Kim Allen's recent message titled "The Blind Side" reminded me of that this morning:
There's comfort in the familiar. ... We all know other people who are stuck doing the same things the same way expecting a different outcome. Yet we fail to see our own narrow views or the "I know what I know" attitudes we hang on to, never considering the possibility that we may be blind to a better way.
I think that it is easy to stay stuck in the status quo because it takes a bit of courage to escape from the comfortable into the unknown. This summer has been full of escape for Ann and I. Little did we know that Ann would spend a desperate week in Chicago on a ventilator when we chose to escape from the grips of a deadly autoimmune disease.

Getting unstuck can sometimes involve a bit of risk. Yet the promise of leaving the familiar is that things will eventually be better - not that it always is.. especially in the short term. But to continue to do the same things (i.e. stay stuck) and expect different results is a definition of insanity. Here's to getting unstuck - even if it is just for a while. ツ

What things have you done (successful and not) to get unstuck? Any advice?



3 comments:

  1. Hi Bob,

    This summer I chose to escape the familiar by taking the plunge. Literally! Without anyone's prompting (except the Lord's), I decided to take an arthritis aquatic class at our township's community and recreation center. And being the class goofball, I unceremoniously jump in the pool instead of taking the genteel way into the water. Well, being the youngest in the class, (in many cases by three decades) I still can get away with some stuff without risking broken bones.

    Yes, sometimes you literally have to jump into the unknown in order to find a better path. I hadn't been near a swimming pool in 28 years, but with arthritis rearing its ugly head in my shoulders, I needed to do something!

    Cheering you and Ann on with faith, hope, and love! :)

    M.E. :)

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  2. After finding out I had gall stones, I jumped from my confortable eating habits to a drastic life change in eating and exercising. I relate to crownring, as I've joined an class three times a week at the Y with about 20 women, most older that me, but I wanted something social, not just working out in a gym by myself. Today we exercised to music and it was really fun. Only eating fresh veggies and fruits, raw beets, and chicken and fish. I've given up "all fatty foods, and desserts".....The benefits are numerous. 1. have dropped 25 (needed) pounds, have been taken off all my meds except the Tamoxifen for the cancer, and now I can look in the size "Medium" instead of "large or X-large". I haven't felt this good in years.

    This is one rut, I plan on staying in!!!

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  3. I shared my water aerobics story today. Thanks to you both for the inspiration!

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