Four Steps to get you Unstuck from a Nagging Issue in Your Life
Is there something happening right now in your life that feels like a big PROBLEM?
A problem at work or with a family member that you keep turning over and over in your mind but can never really make headway on a solution or resolution?
I’ve got an idea.
Turn the problem into a character. Sounds random, huh?
But stick with me. Spend a moment thinking through the situation that is happening in your life. Who are the players, what are the feelings involved for YOU. Take a moment to really feel into this situation. If you were speaking to me, what feelings would you tell me you were having? Might be frustration, sadness or even neck pain, aching heart. Whatever comes up for you is totally valid.
Step 1: Close your eyes and let yourself turn one part of the situation into a character. This might be you, the other person or the situation as a whole. You might be wildly surprised to find out that if you give it a minute this will come really easily to you.
Note: When doing this exercise with clients they have come up with characters ranging from a mouse to a dog to Chewbacka to a squirrel to a ball and chain. It doesn’t at all matter what it is, just know whatever you come up with represents something to you.
Step 2: Spend a second with that character. What is it? What does it do? What is shaped like, what color, what smell, big, little? Does it move or stay still?
Get to know it as best as you can.
Step 3: Apply the character to the problem or situation you are dealing with. Why is it showing up now? What does it tell you about how you are showing up to the situation? What knowledge does it have for you?
Step 4: See how the character is interacting with the problem and really what the character is needing right now. What’s funny about the character?
Ok, you can step out of the visualization. Even if in this moment you are not having big AHA’s doing this exercise, I can bet within the day you will start to see why this character is showing up for you and what it has to teach you. Stay open to it and learn all you can. It showed up for some reason when you asked it to.
Please, please, please feel free to ask me any questions about this exercise or your specific experience in the comments. I’d be happy to work through it with you to help you gain more understanding.