by: Rachelle Disbennett-Lee
If you find yourself in a difficult situation, don't continue doing what you are doing. Although, it might seem like simple advice that should be common sense, remember common sense isn't. It is based on life experience. If we haven't had the experience, we might not know how to handle it. We may be under the illusion that if we keep on doing what we are doing things will change. They won't. Doing the same thing and expecting things to be different is the definition of insanity. If you are not getting the results you want, it is because you are not doing the right actions. Stop doing what you are doing and do something else, anything else. Just remember, if you are in a hole, the best thing to do is stop digging and create a plan for getting out of the hole.
When life isn't going our way, the first thing to look at is our actions. Stop and ask yourself what you are doing to create the situation. It might seem like you are an innocent victim, but the truth is there are very few innocent victims. Most of us, when given the opportunity, can figure out what part we are playing in creating what we don't want in our lives. It can be something like staying in a job we hate, or letting a friend treat us poorly, or not standing up for ourselves. More than likely we are doing something or allowing something to happen that isn't serving us. Stop! Give yourself the opportunity to take a few steps back from the situation and access what is really going on. If you can't do this on your own, seek help from a professional or trusted friend. Often, others can see what isn't working in our lives and what the cause is better than we can. Once you figure out what you need to do differently, do it. Knowing what to change and not changing it doesn't help you.
Where are you continuing to dig yourself into a deep hole? Perhaps you continue to overspend creating more and more credit card debt or perhaps you are not taking the steps that will enable you to seek a better job. Whatever you are doing that is creating a deep hole, stop, decide what actions you are doing that contribute to the situation and change it. Awareness is the first step. The next step is to take action.