Getting Out of Your Own Way...
by Linda Rendleman, M.S. 

Maybe some of you can understand my frustrations. Maybe some of you, too, have been at times a little crazy from juggling too many things, coming up against barrier after barrier, and yet not understanding why? Have you, like me, felt the frustrations of working really hard toward what you think are good and honorable goals only to find door after door closing in your face?

That’s seems to be my life lately. Hard work gets harder and celebrations get fewer. Things seem out of control, no matter how hard I try to keep them going in the direction I want. It seems so difficult these days to keep on track. Reminds me of a story I used to read to my children about Tootles the train

Now, this is not the “I Think I Can” story. No, not that train. Tootles was a lovely little train who hung out with all the bigger, more powerful, more serious trains. They had jobs to do, box cars to pull and places to go. Tootles was training for being a big ole responsible train just like them. But Tootles had trouble being so serious, following those important rules, and “staying on the tracks”…The big accomplished trains told Tootles every day that he simply MUST stay on the tracks” no matter what”.    Tootles kept playing in the meadow, smelling the flowers, and chasing the bumble bees. At his young train engine life, Tootles already knew the importance of relaxing and taking joy in the simpler moments.

The story of Tootles  teaches us to stay focused on our goals, but to take life less seriously, unlike many of his stern colleagues, the bigger more important trains…to, as my friend Dr. Sue Morter says in her piece in my book, just Sit Down. Enjoy the day...the quiet moments and the goodness our days bring to us.

Remembering that story, and discussing my frustrations with my friend recently, the light bulb went off! I’ve been getting in my own way…simply getting in my own way and blocking the good things that are trying to get to me. Do you get it? Does that happen to you? Do you get in your own way like I do?

In Peter Zukav’s book, The Seat of the Soul we are taught about the Law of Effortlessness. The basic tenet is that if things are too hard they are not right. Think about it in your own life. When have you been in a situation where there was “push…push…push” but no matter how much you tried, things just weren’t working?  Maybe you felt this with a personal relationship. Sometimes all the effort in the world won’t make it right. Or a business deal. No matter how you try, it just doesn’t come together. The Law of Effortlessness points out that when things come to us easily, they are the right things. When there is constant friction, maybe those things are just not what we should be doing, anyway.

So how do we get to this place of effortlessness? For me, I need to get out of my own way. I need to just open my heart and mind to the universe and let life lead me.Let life direct my feet. I can put myself in the right place through preparation, knowledge and work, but then step back, breathe and let the energies of the world direct me. Effortlessly.

 Getting out of my own way….letting go of the control…breathing…praying…appreciating the time in the meadow and the sunshine on my face. Loving myself for doing my best and letting my path be directed where it effortlessly will take me.