If you've read my books or blog, you know about Rebound Guy, the man I got involved with immediately after my divorce. It was a wild ride to say the least, and one that at times I didn't think I was going to survive. I'd get fed up with being in turmoil and swear I was done with him. Then, he'd do something to convince me he'd changed and I'd let myself get sucked back in again, believing that "this" time things would be different.
A friend who watched me struggle through the ups and downs, gave me some sage advice once that I will never forget. Being a NASCAR fan, he looked at the world through that lens, and gave my situation a really memorable "spin."
"Well," he said, "you've run this course before and you know how it goes. There's gonna be a crash. It's just a matter of when, where and how bad. But go ahead, take another lap around the track if you want to."
I did. I ran the same track with the same car, the same bad tires and the same faulty steering. And the ending was exactly the same as it had been on every other lap--I crashed and burned. The good news is that each time I went for another round, it took less and less time to slam into the wall. And when I finally hit it for the last time, I jumped right over that wall and got myself out of that loop for good.
We all have to take another lap until we don't need to anymore. No matter what we read or what great advice we get, we will keep doing the same thing over and over until we finally reach our personal threshold of pain. We'll keep on until we finally get it through our thick skulls that if we want a different outcome, we have to either drive a different course or a different car, or both.
If you have a situation in your life where this rings even the tiniest of bells, pay attention and do something different. It could save you a lap or two around your own personal track of pain.
Jump the wall and live your joy now!
*****
Paula Renaye is a certified life coach, speaker and author of The Hardline Self Help Handbook, which has won Four National Book Awards. For more motivational articles and free audio and digital downloads, visit http://hardlineselfhelp.com and be inspired!If you're into funny mystery novels, check out the first book in my Jolene Jackson Mystery Series, Hot Enough to Kill. It's less than a dollar on Kindle!
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