By being stuck in a certain circumstance for a period of time you begin to learn new things about yourself.  You may surprise yourself with your strength, resilience and optimistic attitude that you didn’t think was there. Or perhaps you find your strength, resilience and optimistic attitude that’s normally there, fading.

The only “right” response and reaction to your particular circumstance is the one that helps you move forward in some way. One that helps you pick yourself up and get back on track towards the way of being and living you truly desire. 

Take a moment to ask yourself: 

How have you been able to pick yourself up when you’ve had a down period?

What hidden characteristics have you uncovered about yourself in recent times?

What have your unexpected reactions and responses taught you?

Immersion in a situation beyond what we would believe to be ‘comfortable’ enables us to stretch into new territory, previously unexplored. As a rule, we tend to stick with what is familiar and known and largely comfortable. So when we are in a situation for an extended period of time that is becoming uncomfortable we head into unfamiliar and unknown territory. And it is in this area that we learn more about ourselves than what we serve to learn by sticking with what is familiar and known.

Knowledge about who we truly are and are not, what we are capable of doing and not doing and are hidden desires and dreams of what we want most of all are given time and space to come to the surface rather than being suppressed.

It gives us an opportunity to have an honest conversation with ourselves so we can live life in greater alignment with who we are not who we think we need to be. We can strive for things that are truly valuable not those we told or expected to achieve. We can learn to say no to things that are of no interest rather than saying yes out of obligation.

How liberating!