Have you ever had a problem where you just felt stuck? There seemed to be no way out, no “wiggle room.” Imagine how the people from the Houston, TX area felt the past few days. Sitting in their pickup trucks, cars, and SUVs, My aunt, Reba, was one of those people trying to drive from Baytown, which is east of Houston, to San Antonio,which is west of Houston almost 200 miles. They tried side roads, feeder roads, access roads, nothing worked. They even tried to enter Interstate Highway 10, which is the major route to San Antonio in good times, when they opened the east bound lanes to westbound traffic. Since this was uncharted territory, they missed the first entry point and were forced into more traffic. When they tried to enter via what is usually an exit, an officer turned them back. Why? That was his orders! Stymied after spending 8 hours in their cars just trying to leave the Houston area, they turned around and went home.
What do you do when all the doors seem to be closed? Retreat, pulling back, is always an option. We usually see that as defeat and NOT an option. If you have a strategic objective, an overall strategy, and a plan, falling back may make a lot of sense. It gives you time to regroup and rethink critical issues. In Reba’s case, the situation had changed somewhat during the 8 hours on the highway. The storm had weakened, the direction of the storm seemed to be veering away from their area, and they were running out of gas with no place to refill. No one had foreseen the massive gridlock.
When you find yourself stuck, after you’ve tried everything you can think of, sought help from others, checked with authorities, and still don’t see a solution, consider pulling back. Often just letting go of the problem allows your subconscious mind to go to work on the issue. You can tackle the issue at another time with a fresh mind.
