There are times in my life when I have felt incredibly stuck. Times, when I was in a situation and I wanted to get out, but I just didn’t know how. In business, financially, in relationships, and in many other areas. I just felt stuck. What I didn’t realise at the time was that the actual escape vehicle was already there to take me to freedom.
I’m sure you’ve heard this story before, but it’s worth repeating. Because the message is valuable, and I hope it prompts you to realise the fact that your escape vehicle is already there, waiting for you to get on.
The story is about the guy who was stuck on his roof as storm waters were rising. He was a Christian man, and as he sat on the roof, the rain waters rising, he prayed to God to be saved. He had total faith his God would rescue him. The water kept rising and rising, and as it was touching his feet, a boat came past. The guy in the boat said to him, quickly, jump in and I’ll save you. The man on the roof said, no thank you, it’s okay I know my God will save me.
The rain kept coming, the water kept rising, and as it was climbing past his belly and up to his chest a helicopter flew and hovered just above him. The door opened, a rope ladder dropped, and instructions came to jump on to be lifted out. Again, the man said, no thank you, my God will save me. He refused to climb the ladder, so the helicopter flew off to save other people. The water kept rising eventually reaching his neck, then rose over his head, and the man drowned.
He went up to Heaven, and he was cranky. He started knock knock knocking on Heaven‘s door, and when he entered, he found God to confront him. He said, I waited and waited for you to save me, and you didn’t come, and now I’m dead. God replied, I sent you a boat and a helicopter, what else did you want?
As I said, it’s an oldie but a goodie, and it has a very valid and important message I encourage you to ponder on. Are there any areas of your life where you feel stuck, yet the escape vehicle is right in front of your nose? It may not be as obvious as the boat and the helicopter, but it is there nevertheless, as long as you open your eyes and look for it.
It’s a little bit like a term that I know as domestic blindness. I have it! I look in the fridge and ask, where is the yoghurt? I look and I look but just can’t see it. However, if someone else opens the fridge they’ll see it sitting right there. It was right in front of my nose, but for some reason I missed it. Maybe because it was so obvious. What are you missing because maybe it’s too obvious?
What if the answer to you getting unstuck and free from your health concerns is just opening the front door and going out for a walk? What if the escape from your financial challenges is waiting for you to open your mind to other options that you can do outside your normal work hours? What if the solution to your relationship issues is simply having an open and honest conversation with your partner?
Have you ever been offered something by someone and, without really considering it, said no? What if that was an escape option? Have you ever said to yourself, you need to start doing something or stop doing something, and then talk yourself out of it? What if that was the escape option? What if changing your life was as simple as opening your heart and your mind, and getting out of your own way, to take advantage of the amazing people, resources, and options that are available to you right now?
Honestly, it’s that simple. Just open your eyes and see what’s all around you. I promise, the solution to help you escape and get unstuck is right in front of your nose. To help with this journey, my two podcasts this week are awesome. I speak with Laura Bratton in a podcast called, Grief, grit, and gratitude. I also speak with Michael Hession in a podcast called The two superpowers.
We make life way more complicated than it needs to be. We get so caught up in our challenges, problems, and stresses, that we are blinded to and miss the obvious answers and solutions that are right there waiting for us. This week, please look up, look around, and you’ll see that your escape vehicle is already there waiting for you.