Are You Pushing, Struggling And Striving?

Karen arrived to our session rushed and hurried. It was our first meeting. In one breath, she offered me a flood of apologies and listed all reasons that made her run late.

Still standing, gesturing and continuously checking her bag and her mobile, she kept talking… I interrupted her gently and invited her to sit down and take a breath.

She smiled: ‘This armchair looks so cosy I may fall asleep. I am so tried!’.

She sat down and looked around the room for the first time … ‘It’s peaceful here’.

Slowly, relaxing into the moment, Karen started telling me the story of her life…

She talked about her exhaustion. She talked about ‘giving it all’ but not getting anywhere. She talked about her commitment to her goals but at the same time deep frustration and crumbling confidence. She talked about her sadness that some things were not going her way. She talked about the disconnect she felt with her family and how she didn’t even have time to call her mum. She talked about a gripping fear that grabs her at night and keeps her awake… the fear that ‘it’s too late’ and that time is running out.

She told me a story of Sisyphus. Do you know the story?

In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was the King of Ephyra who was forced to roll an immense boulder up a hill only for it to roll down when it nears the top, repeating this action for eternity.

She said – ‘That’s me – that’s how I feel and I don’t know what to do anymore…’

My heart swelled and went straight to Karen. I felt her every word because I completely knew what she was talking about. I was Sisyphus myself. I remembered instantly living with relentless drive, persistent effort and heart-breaking disappointment.

What about you? Have you been pushing the boulder up the hill only for it to roll down when it nears the top? Do you sometimes feel like Sisyphus?

If you are unsure, here are the typical signs that your inner Sisyphus is in charge:

• You are constantly busy and unable to take your foot off the gas
• Your progress does not equate to the effort you are putting in
• You are often stressed or anxious
• You have a problem you have to fix and your wellbeing depends on it
• You don’t have time to relax
• You are experiencing tiredness and exhaustion

Does it sound familiar?

When we are pushing the boulder, we are not able to listen to our hearts and remember what matters most to us. We are often not able to even notice that we are feeling stressed or sad or lonely. We all miss out on life when we race through life constantly doing, pushing, struggling and striving.

The good news is: THERE IS A DIFFERENT WAY

It starts with learning to pause. With learning to relax. With building spaces to reconnect with ourselves and the energy that keeps us alive. With remembering what matters to us most?

What is it for you? What do you truly care about?

Pause, share and inspire others!

Have a great day with heaps of pausing,

Dorothy