Now and then it’s good to pause and simply breathe as you reflect on your life, where you are now, and where you’re going.
But what if the pause isn’t your idea?
What if your life has been put on hold for you, without your consent, and all you can think about is how much you want things to return to normal so you can get back to living your life again?
A lot of people are feeling this way right now, stuck waiting for things to return to comfortable familiarity.
Yes, the limitations have been real, and in some cases will continue through the foreseeable future, but you are not stuck.
While it might feel especially difficult in times of uncertainty, preparation for the future is more critical than ever. This is because anticipation strongly heightens our sense of control and happiness.
Even if at this stage it’s just a daydream, pursuing goals and planning for the future is actually one of the most important things you can do to help yourself stay upbeat and hopeful.
This is why the most constructive way to view this moment of transition is not as a punishment to prevent us from living our lives, but as a necessary time of preparation for what comes next.
Discover Your Power in The Pause
Quotations comfort us and provide encouragement when no one else is around. They prove to us that we are not alone, that someone else has experienced the same thing, and survived … if they can, so can we!
I hope this collection will uplift and inspire you to reclaim control of your life and begin moving forward.
Until you believe you have options, you will continue to feel stuck.
It is not only in movement that we make progress. Sometimes all it takes is a pause to clear the mind to create a subtle shift in perspective that reveals new options and possibilities. ~Kristin Armstrong
Nothing is permanent. You have choices. You can think new thoughts, learn new skills, create new habits or ditch old ones that have been holding you back. Decide where you want to go, what you need to do to move forward, then take the first step and never look back. ~Author Unknown
Even in the best of times life is messy and every day we pick up more baggage, so an important and often undervalued part of the journey is the pause. This is where you clear the clutter, revisit and refocus your priorities to reveal the path forward. ~Author Unknown
You don’t have a right to the cards you believe you should have been dealt. You have an obligation to play the hell out of the ones you’re holding. ~Cheryl Strayed
When you are struggling to move forward the best thing you can do is to step back and take time to clarify where you are and exactly what is standing in your way. There is a big difference between, ‘I feel stuck’ and ‘I feel stuck because (fill in the blank)’. Once you name it, you are more likely to be able to tame it and keep moving forward. ~Author Unknown
Rather than despair when faced with a pause, instead survey your position, consider carefully the actions you must take, and then with determination and trust in the process, begin moving forward. ~Author Unknown
It’s amazing – you may not realize it, but so much of what you are not is because you are literally standing in your own way of becoming. and what I am pleading with you about is to get the hell out of your own way. ~Leo Buscaglia
It’s funny how when you let go of your attachment to the idea of the way things are supposed to be, suddenly the path forward opens. ~Author Unknown
The walls are there for a reason. The walls are not there to keep you out. The walls are there to give you a chance to show how badly you want something. The walls are there to stop people who don’t want it badly enough. They are there to stop the other people. ~Randy Pausch
Preparation Is the Key
It’s not the will to win that matters, everyone has that, especially in the beginning. It’s the willingness to prepare and the commitment to the process that matters. ~Paul Bryant
Spectacular achievement is always preceded by unspectacular preparation. ~Robert H. Schuller
One of the most common reasons for feeling stuck is our habit of relying on the same old thinking and solutions. By brainstorming ideas, you open your mind to finding new possibilities. When you realize you have options, you won’t feel so trapped anymore. ~Author Unknown
If you’re still waiting for it, it means you’re not yet ready for it – whatever ‘it’ is – so stop looking at waiting as a punishment and start looking at it as preparation. ~Mandy Hale
The foundation of confidence in virtually every field is preparation. ~Brian Tracy
Life is a constant series of lessons and they are often wrought through failure. The most important thing is not how you feel about those failures, but what you learn from them and do with them afterward. Failure has a way of preparing us for victory. ~Micheline Ryckman
Sometimes life gives you obstacles. Obstacles that may seem unfair or too extreme. But you still have a choice, break through the obstacles or let the obstacles break you.
The Takeaway
In times like these, we may feel our life has been stalled, stuck on a pause, not of our own choosing. The obstacles we face feel magnified as our hopes for the future gradually slip away.
Your attitudes, beliefs, and the things you whisper to yourself are reflected in your experience of the world around you.
Think about the life you want to create.
There will always be things out of your control, but there are still many things you can do to breathe energy into your routines and infuse a sense of hope, vitality, and movement in your life … but only if you keep moving.
Sometimes in life, we end up in a place different from where we intended to go, but right where we are meant to be.
Related reading:
- The Ability to Change Your Mind Is the Key to Unlocking Your True Potential
- Confronting Life’s Obstacle Illusions
Will you be the passenger or the driver in your life journey?
About Marquita A. Herald
Marquita is an author, resilience coach, and founder of Emotionally Resilient Living. She’s also an unapologetic workaholic who loves red wine, rock n’ roll, road trips (and car dancing!), peanut butter cookies, and (especially) a dog named Lucy.
She’s saddened and frustrated by excuses and cruelty and believes authentic compassion is the most powerful force in the world.
To learn more about Marquita and the mission of Emotionally Resilient Living Start Here.
