It was a moment of choice, for both of us.
There I was going about my daily chores when I froze in my tracks, and so did the field mouse.
In its shocked state, this tiny creature hesitated for a second and then scurried from behind the laundry basket and across the vinyl laundry-room floor in the direction of the next room. What the poor little blighter did not know was that the adjoining room had a highly polished marble floor. You’ve guessed it. The moment its tiny paws hit the marble surface, its rotund body went into a magnificent skid, as if on ice. Its stringy tail got caught underneath it’s body and was no longer available as a rudder. To add insult to injury, the skid gave way to a perfect 360 degree tailspin as it tried to grip the marble surface with its scratchy claws. I stood by mesmerized, watching as it scurried every which way to regain its equilibrium. Only when he came to a dead stop was he able to steer himself to safety through the door that had been wide open all this time, on the opposite side of the room.
I’ve often pondered how we can be like that little field mouse. When life presents us with new options, either through our own choices or through unexpected circumstances, we too find ourselves in an unfamiliar place like the field mouse, in the laundry room. And,sometimes, in a moment of sheer panic, we’re faced with the unexpected, and like the mouse, we rush in the opposite direction . This new direction leads us further into unfamiliar territory than we might have had to face if we’d taken a strategic pause to assess our options in a more calm way.
In my work as a coach, I help my clients build their capacity to take strategic pauses so they can regain their inner sense of equilibrium, and, from that place, they’re better equipped to make supportive choices in their professional as well as in their personal lives.
Just like the mouse, we often need to be able to bring ourselves to a dead stop, before we can move through the door that’s been waiting for us all along.
So my question to you is this: In which areas of your life are you in a skid that has you reeling out of balance and headed in a direction not of your own choice? And, what will help you to stop so you can see the door that has been open to you all along?
[If this has inspired you in any way, drop me an email at : deborah[@]authenticdialogue.com ]
