The Black Hole

So we have all been there and I think anyone who says they haven't is lying. I am talking about feeling like you are spinning your wheels, there is no hope, you are lost and have no idea where to go, in a funk, or at the worst feeling like giving up. It is the black hole of life.

Below are some tips to start seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

1. It is always darkest before the dawn. I know this is very cliche but it is true. Something I've noticed over the years is that life runs in cycles. Like the seasons, many things in life drop off, end, change for what seems to be the worse, becomes unbearable. Much like a tree, a time comes when the leaves must fall to make room for new growth. The tree must let go of something that is very much a part of itself and trust that something new will grow. Then spring comes along and new things come into it's life. But it must push through the winter and when it seems like it will remain bare forever, a tiny bud of a leaf shows itself.

2. TRUST. I say this a lot but it is true. And this is coming from someone who will always be working on personal trust issues herself. LIFE WILL NEVER LET YOU FALL UNLESS IT IS WHAT IS IN YOUR BEST INTEREST. People who fall into seemingly desperate conditions are those who are addicted or have an untreated mental illness. If this is you, get help. If not, know that things will never get so bad that you will not be ok in the end. I love the quote, "Everything will be ok in the end, if it is not, it is not the end" If things seem like they are unbearable and inescapable then you are not seeing the lesson in it. Life loves to put us in crappy situations to teach us a lesson and they will keep us there until we do. Look for the lesson and then solutions will come to you.

3. Be grateful. This is the hardest thing to do when you are in the hole. But it will not only make you feel better but create changes in your life. I know it is a bit Oprah-ish but it works. Everyday write down or mentally keep note of the things you are grateful for. Do this as it happens. When I was in a particularly bad funk I realized how grateful I was for the tree that was giving me shade. Life would suck without shade ;)

4. Ask and you shall receive. Ask for help. Ask for help from other people, God, your higher power, or just out into the universe. Simply state, in a receptive environment, a dilemma. People love to help other people. You like to help others so why would other people not want to help you. This does not work as well for material things for some reason. People's attachments to material things is sometimes too strong to give up. But ask for the answers that can get you closer to a solution and you will often get them quickly. Pay attention to the little things because answers and solutions often come in strange forms. Songs on the radio, an overheard conversation, etc. And brush aside excuses. Excuses are the mind's way of keeping you from getting out of the funk. Excuses keep you in the hole. Just do it!