“Everything is love, or a call for love.” A Course in Miracles

I received some feedback from yesterday’s love letter, The Art of Appreciation. It was mostly around feeling “stuck”. So, I want to talk about that with you today.

When I talk about appreciating discomfort such as frustration and feeling stuck, I’m not for a hot minute suggesting that anyone be grateful in an unhealthy situation or relationship. This is never about denying or ignoring a situation that is unhealthy or abusive.

I do believe however, that we are always choosing our life and those choices provide us with feedback in the form of feelings and outcomes. Those feelings are here to inform us so we can make the next best choice.

Feeling stuck is feedback, information. It’s here to help us, guide us, and inform us. This is where appreciation enters the picture. Appreciation for the awareness of the feeling and allowing those feelings to guide us.

I spent many years “stuck” in a marriage that had outlived its time. It took time for me to realize that what I was stuck in – and what most of us get stuck in – were the stories I was telling myself.

I’d been telling myself that I couldn’t leave for all sorts of reasons – money, kids, mostly I came to see I didn’t trust or believe in myself. I thought it was impossible for me to change this situation – that I had no choice. These were my stories.

Everything is a choice.

We are always choosing our life at every moment. Not making a choice is a choice too. Not listening to our own voice, our own needs, our deepest desires is a choice.

Those choices are driven by our belief system, or experiences, the lens through which we have learned to see life. There is no right or wrong here – just the way each one of us experiences life.

Yesterday I mentioned that feeling “stuck” comes from fear of the unknown. It is a sign that there is something more for me to learn. A sign that I am ready to make a new or different choice. A sign to get curious about that fear so I can begin to move through it.

When I felt stuck in my marriage, it was a sign for me to value myself more, to make a change, to have better boundaries, to love myself more – and as a result face the fear of the unknown and begin making choices that aligned with what I wanted. It was a nudge from my own inner wise self to do what was necessary to honor myself and meet my needs. A nudge towards what I truly desired next in my life.

When we ignore the nudge…it becomes a shove in one way or another.

I had ignored the nudge for so long, that just before we spilt up, I had a serious case of bronchitis that lasted over a month. I got shoved into taking care of me and only me.

A course in miracles says, “everything is love or a call for love”.

Feeling stuck is a call for love – a call to love yourself more, to trust what you feel, and often that means making hard choices and facing your fears – this is where I appreciate feelings of discomfort. They are here to serve my highest good.

Becoming aware of this awareness is the greatest gift of my marriage. I’m not denying the difficulties, I am choosing to see it all with new eyes.

With appreciation and love,

By cultivating a mindset of appreciation, you can find peace, contentment, and a deep sense of fulfillment in every moment. I’m here when you’re ready!