Ruts, not just a wagon trail

Ruts, everyone falls into them once in a while - some of us more than once in a while. For me, a rut is a comfort zone. I know where to go (or not go), what’s going to happen, how to react, and how to interact. Not very challenging, but not very scary either. 

When I was young and chock full of energy, I was on the go almost all the time. I liked to travel, especially road trips, and see new places, meet new people – savor new experiences. However, even back then I would find myself hiding, as it were, in a rut from time to time. Especially if life had thrown me a curve ball, or hit me over the head with something large and solid. The tricky part was figuring out how to climb back out of my rut, because once I was settled in and comfortable, I was disinclined to get out and face the possibility of getting smacked again. When I’m in a rut, I tend to think negatively more often. I believe it’s a way of staying in the rut rather than taking another chance. 

This world and this life can be a terribly demanding and daunting place. It speaks to the human spirit that most of us keep putting one foot in front of the other and move forward. Do you find yourself in a rut from time to time? How do you dig yourself out? What motivates you to seek out new challenges? Inquiring minds want to know… 

66 comments October 20th, 2008