5 Strategies to Navigate Obstacles
Originally Posted Jun 1, 2017
What do you do when you’ve set a path towards a goal and you begin to lose your way?
Everywhere you turn or step, something is obstructing you. Maybe its, self-sabotage, or feeling of lack such as time or money, or perhaps its a legitimate wall of some sort that is tripping you up and when you look out to where you once saw the way thru, the only thing you see is a thick blanket of trees and branches blocking the light.
There are too few things in life that offer a straight and direct route from A to B that includes a smooth road to the end.
And yet we bank on an experience that is just that way. “If I do this, then I will get that.” End of story.
Except inevitably we are often taken off guard when along the way we confront challenges and inquiry that leads us questioning if we reached farther than we should. And what happens next more often than not is admitting defeat in some capacity to settle or turn around and head back home.
It sounds dismal and depressing… (I know you’re thinking right about now, I thought I read these things for inspiration)…I’m getting there.
But first we have to be real for a second and acknowledge that most of the time when we set off for a goal a lot of the time we are exactly in the same place we were a year later.
That book - not written or not read depending on which one you were aiming for.Those 20 lbs - still there,That business - still in the thinking dreaming stagesThat trip - no booked.
So now that we’ve addressed the fact that it's the path to our goals isn't always champagne and unicorns we can now set goals from a perspective that may allow for more possibility of it actually happening, over just luck and a prayer.
This time we set our goals with some strategy, not for when it’s all rosy.
But for the times when it gets hard, because thats when we really need it.
And to do that we are going to call in our inner Wood Element.
Your Wood Element holds the Vision. It supports your empowered action, it holds your convictions to persevere when the end result supports your greater truths to be reflected out in the world.
So lets get to strategizing
1. Get the Essence of the Vision.
Start with the essence of it, not all of the plans. What is it that you want and Why?Your inner Wood needs to see beyond your current perceptions to hold space for the potential of it reaching beyond what you thought possible. Perhaps the end result will be even better than you first conceived.
Remember: The strongest trees are the ones that are flexible enough to bend in the wind.
2. Plan your Vision Out.
Now that you have the essence, now you can go ahead and plan it out as you know it to be right now.
The Wood Element Loves a good plan!
If a timeline is required with lots of little tasks, get them on a calendar. This may also be an opportunity for you to delegate. The wood element loves being boss. It’s safe for you to own it.
If you do decide to do this, share the essence of the vision with those individuals so that they can assist you when you are assessing any upcoming obstacles that may require a course correction.
3. Evoke your Judge and General.
The Liver and Gallbladder (the organ systems related to the Wood Element) are often referred to as your judge and general to assist you in making decisions.
Often obstacles show up when there is overwhelm and too much stuff going on such as clutter (mental or physical).
Task your Judge and General to help detoxify your situation and make the necessary decisions as to what comes next.
A good way to do this is to create some checkpoints where you have the opportunity to evaluate how things are going. Are you still on track or has your plans been hijacked by something else. Assess you circumstances and then trim/cut/process/let go of anything that you don’t need anymore.
4. Have An Emotion.
When obstacles happen were taught to suck it up and keep going. Except then you’re trying to navigate something that challenges you with clenched fists, a closed heart and clouded eyes.
Let it out, Let it out, Let it out.
Have a cry, get mad, scream, shout, swear, laugh maniacally.
And if your head is telling you that doing any of that doesn’t help anything.
I’m telling you that it does.
Let it out until there is noting left to come out of you and then take a pause, grab a glass of water and then look at your current problem with new eyes. (The sense organ of the Wood element BTW.)
PS. If you struggle with this part, having a witness, therapist, healer present to hold space for you is incredibly powerful.
And lastly,
5. Pay attention to Your Dreams.
They may not be literal but the HUN (the wood Spirit) is often present during your sleep state. It gathers impressions throughout the day and weaves them into your dreams to bring them down in to the body for integration.
The Liver and Gallbladder meridian according to the meridian clock are actually most active between the hours of 11pm - 3am.
So perhaps a solution to your problem is being answered for you while you sleep on it.
Set up a journal by your bed to write down what you remember when you wake up so that you can decipher later. If you're a person that wakes up in the middle of the night, (say around 3am!!) write out what ever is on your mind, don't try and figure it out at that time, just write it down and then try going back to sleep. You can look at it in the morning.
Regardless of your current goal or where you find yourself in it, as you set forth with a little more strategy, hold true to the belief that a solution is always available. Your goals are being manifested as we speak, and more often than not it requires a willingness to hold space for something even greater than you ever could have conceptualized on your own at a single point in time.
And with that, sometimes we need tools to do our part in moving the needle forward and illuminate the path to our great life of Love & legacy. I hope these help you out when those time come.
XO Ashley