Finding Relief from Avoidance
There are many sticky traps and temptations in this world that are presented to us as an alternative to doing our soul work. Addictions, distractions, and endless dopamine hits can pull on our energy constantly if we allow them to command our attention. The undercurrent of energy that fuels our temptation to escape is the master trap, avoidance. Avoiding the difficult work that must be done is the fabric of this broken system. Avoidance tells you that the pain of doing the work isn’t worth the reward, and perhaps if we put something off for long enough it’ll just go away on its own. This is a fallacy because we know that problems do not solve themselves. They usually just fester and get more difficult the longer we put them off. The worst part though isn’t the problem that’s going unaddressed; it’s the pressure and stress that are compounding on you every moment that the task goes unfinished. It’s not the things you’re putting off that are causing your stress. Avoiding the work is the stressor, and once you remove it from the equation, your life will feel much more manageable.
I’ve been working on this issue extensively for the past few years, and I finally began to crack through it recently once I realized that all of the pressure on my shoulders had been created by my avoidance of stressful things. I allowed that pressure to grow and become increasingly unsettling in my body, and I chose to continue the cycle of procrastination that perpetuated my circumstances. I got to the point where I was completely overwhelmed with every aspect of my life before I saw that the solution was available to me the entire time. Once I made this connection, things started to change slowly over time. Every time I decided to handle something immediately instead of putting it off, things shifted ever so slightly. It took me a while to begin addressing the big things, but once I did, I realized that they weren’t as scary as I had once imagined. Each major project that I crossed off of my list gave me a rush of relief and satisfaction. Once this started happening more frequently, I realized that I could build momentum that would carry me into the next phase of my life.
Everything started to change when I saw that I could stop the madness for myself by choosing to close the loops. Once you start addressing the things you’ve avoided for a long time, you stop trying to avoid the little things that come up for you on a daily basis. Staying on top of the little things is what gives you the strength to face the big things. You’ll get to the point where you see that you can have anything you truly desire in this life if you’re willing to put yourself on the line for it and work consistently until you achieve your goals. You might have to fight through your fears and doubts, and you’ll definitely encounter some resistance within yourself once things start to shift and change before your eyes, but I can promise you that the peace you’ll find will be absolutely worth it. After avoidance is removed from your routine, the pain and suffering that come along with it will also vanish, which opens the door for relief.
When you realize that you have the ability to set yourself free from this cycle, the relief will be palpable. The tension you feel in your chest when you think about doing something that must be done is a sign that you’ll feel relief once it’s accomplished. We are sometimes blinded by the fear and pain, and this allows us to remain trapped in the vicious cycle of avoidance. If you really think about it, you might find that avoidance is the common thread that’s holding your chaos together. If you tug on this thread until you’ve completed every task you’ve been avoiding, I promise your life will change for the better. I know this beyond the shadow of a doubt because I know that relieving your chronic stress is the key to a more peaceful existence. When you’re serving your purpose and facing your life every day, you’re a happier human. You deserve to let go of this tension and pain. You’ll feel so much better once you decide to face it once and for all. Show up for yourself no matter what the fear tells you. You deserve to live a peaceful existence.