Unlocking the Door to Your Personal Prison

Depression, anxiety, helplessness, hopelessness, anger, frustration, dependence, rejection, loneliness, and more.

Everyone feels one or more of these feelings at one time or another.

You can't wish them away and these feelings can make you feel like you're in a prison or hell where the door is locked tight. You can't think of a way out, there are no windows and the door has been shut for so long, you don't even know if there's a key to it anymore. If there is, you sure don't remember where to find it.It is important to realize that the door to your personal prison locks from the inside. You walked in and you can walk right out anytime you want. No one put you there but you. Sure circumstances happened, but it is how you believe those circumstances affect you that will determine whether or not you cross the threshold of that doorway into the darkness or the light.

There are 3 basic components to walking in or out through the prison door.

1-Freedom

2-Choice

3-Responsibility

We are free to choose to start looking for a way out

We are free to choose to stop looking for a way out

We are free to choose to try to make things different

We are free to choose to give up and accept what we perceive as our "lot" in life.

Whatever we choose, it is our choice. We must be responsible for that choice.

It may not have been your choice that your loved one died
It may not have been your choice that you lost your job/house/car
It may not have been your choice that .......you fill in the blank

But it is your choice how you respond to that situation. And that my friend, is what you are responsible for. So you have the key to go in and you have the key to go out. Any time you wish.

Owning your actions and feelings does not completely solve the problem, but it is the first gigantic step in moving toward feeling something different. It is a huge relief to know that life isn't just happening to you. That you can take your control back and make your life what you want it to be. You hold the key at all times, you always have.

While, you may not control all circumstances in life, you control you. You control how you react and how you respond.

Locking yourself in prison or a personal hell is purely a personal decision. You may walk in by mistake, but if you don't like how it feels, unlock the door and get out quick!

How To Solve An Everyday Crisis

Make a commitment that you will not wallow in it.

Accept responsibility for your part in the creation of the crisis. Not everyone would view the situation as a crisis, but you do. Accept that you have chosen to see it this way.

Decide whether or not you want to hold onto this belief.

Decide the best course of action or inaction. Sometimes it is best to leave things alone to evolve into their own solution. When you are considering your options (or perceived lack thereof), check in with your body to see what feels right. If an idea makes you feel nervous or uneasy, you may want to wait on that one. If staying out of it and doing nothing gives you peace, for example, then do nothing. Remember the world functions all day everyday without your instruction or intervention.

Keep in mind that a week from now, this crisis will no longer be a crisis in your mind. Why not start living in that reality today? You can start by acting as though it is a manageable situation. The word crisis lives in our heads anyway. Just changing your perception about it is ½ the battle of solving it.

Question your involvement. Is it really any of your business? Is this your crisis or are you butting in and trying to run someone else’s life other than your own? If it is not yours, you can support your friend by helping them come up with their own solution and executing it themselves. Support, not doing it for them.

Finally, ask yourself, “What can I or have I learned from this?” Every situation, encounter, occurrence is an opportunity for growth and development.

Thank the universe for this opportunity for growth and share your discovery with others.