Feeling Stuck? Here’s What’s Really Holding You Back
Learn how to untangle perception from reality and take the first step toward clarity.
In Today’s Edition:
🌱 Reflection: Feeling Stuck—Is It Your Perception or Your Reality?
🧘🏽♂️ Awareness: Start by Asking the Right Questions.
💛 Kindness: Be Gentle as You Uncover the Truth.
🌱 Reflection: Feeling Stuck—Is It Your Perception or Your Reality?
I’ll never forget when I realized I didn’t have to stay stuck. I was still working at the hospital, but on my day off, I found myself in a recently discharged patient’s kitchen. He was 42 and recovering from bypass surgery. His sister was there, eager to help him, but neither knew where to start. So there I was, guiding them step by step through preparing a simple plant-based meal. That day, we made black bean and sweet potato enchiladas, and then I reviewed plant-based eating while we ate.
It wasn’t part of my job description. It wasn’t something I had to do. But it felt right. That moment planted a seed in me—a quiet, persistent knowing that there was a different way I could serve.
Maybe you’ve felt it, too—a gnawing sense that something isn’t working. You’re trying to make sense of it, but you’re not sure if it’s the situation itself or how you’re relating to it. How do you figure out where to begin?
🧘🏽♂️ Awareness: Start by Asking the Right Questions.
Feeling stuck often leads us to ask: Is it me, or is it this situation? But the deeper inquiry is: Does this align with my values?
Your perception shapes how you interpret the world, but sometimes, the dissonance comes from living in ways that don’t reflect what truly matters to you. Here’s how to start uncovering the difference:
Start with Perception: Take stock of what’s working. What aspects of your life or work feel fulfilling? Are there overlooked opportunities for growth or meaning that align with your core values? Sometimes, the shift you need is in how you see the situation.
Assess the Challenges: Are the difficulties you face teaching you something valuable—or simply depleting you? Growth can feel uncomfortable, but it’s meaningful when it helps you move closer to your values. Challenges that drain you without purpose may signal a need for change.
Reflect on Your Values: Ask yourself: What’s truly important to me? How do I want to show up in the world? When you align your daily actions with your values, you naturally create a sense of purpose and clarity—even in challenging situations.
Listen to Your Inner Voice: If there’s a persistent whisper urging you toward something different, don’t ignore it. That voice often reflects the tension between the life you’re living and the life you want to lead. Pay attention to what it’s telling you—it might hold the key to your next step.
💛 Kindness: Be Gentle as You Uncover the Truth
When you’re wrestling with whether it’s your perception or your reality that needs to shift, it’s tempting to demand immediate clarity. But untangling those threads takes patience. You can’t rush your way to understanding—it’s a process of discovery.
Here’s a way to approach it with self-compassion:
Make Room for Stillness: Carve out time each day to reflect. Whether journaling, meditating, or sitting quietly, use this time to connect with your values and the reality of your situation.
Ask Without Judgment: Sit with this question: If nothing in my life changed, what would feel different if my perspective shifted? Let your answer come naturally without forcing or judging it. This is about starting a gentle conversation with yourself.
Give Yourself Permission to Feel Both: Confusion can carry guilt—Shouldn’t I know what to do by now? Shouldn’t I be happy with where I’m at? Let go of these expectations. It’s okay to feel both grateful for what you have and restless for what’s missing. Those feelings can coexist, and they’re often the compass pointing you forward.
When you give yourself these gifts of patience and compassion, you create the conditions for clarity to arise.
The next time you wonder whether your mindset or circumstances need to change, start small. Ask questions, sit with uncertainty, be kind, and trust that the answers will reveal themselves in time.
You have everything you need to navigate this moment—patience, awareness, compassion, and the courage to act when the time is right.
Until next time…
Live well and RAK ON,
Dr. Rak 👊🏽