Have you ever felt like you were trapped in a wet paper bag and there was no way out? Trapped, disoriented, hearing voices calling you from not too far away and you can’t stretch out your fingers far enough to poke a hole?
Emotion and how we deal with what we have on our plate is always a personal and unique choice. Like a child with three favourites and one not so favourite on their plate (peas come to mind though my son LOVES them), panicking at the idea of cleaning the plate, we can look at it in two ways.
First, we can complain that it’s too much, we’ll never be able to get through it all and be frustrated it’s expected of you anyway. Or two, take a step back, realize everything on your plate can be accomplished by taking small, manageable tasks and just get through it. Swallow the peas mushed in with your beloved potatoes if that’s what it takes.
Piles of laundry seem daunting?
Put away the underwear first, then the socks and work your way up to hanging the pants. Build up your momentum, realizing how great it feels to finally have everything put away and “your plate clean” if you will.
Like the ball in the wet paper bag, if you go with the flow and stay in the corner stewing about all there is beyond the bag you’ll stay there feeling cold and miserable, and wet. If you take charge and roll yourself slowly too the other side, using the side of the bag to propel from.
We’re not ever trapped in a corner when our minds are focusing on the possibilities beyond. Adjust your perspective and build momentum to break free of that overwhelming feeling. And sometimes, just take a moment to enjoy the escape of the paper bag.
Thanks for reading,
Sarah Butland
author of Sending You Sammy
