Are You Living in Lobster Trap?

I recently visited the harbor in Oceanside, CA. Harbor towns are kind of my thing. I love the ocean breeze, sailboats, and my personal favorite; the barking of the sealions sunning on the docks. Along my journey I discovered a wall of stacked lobster traps. I wandered over to them and looked inside. If you are not familiar with how they work let me enlighten you; food is placed inside the trap to attract lobsters. The entrance way is called “the head” which leads them into the “kitchen” where the bait bag is located. When the lobster tries to leave the trap, it follows a funnel shaped net and lands in the “bedroom” or “parlor” where they are inevitably stuck. However, there is always an escape hatch for smaller lobsters and fish to get out.

As I continued my walk, I thought…

Do you ever feel like you live in a lobster trap?

What looks like an easy meal hanging there for the taking, only to find out that you have trapped yourself into a place where you feel you can never get out.

That trapped or stuck feeling is not working for you anymore. Maybe it’s your job, relationship, friends, or the everyday life with no excitement.

I have experienced this and expressed, “I feel trapped”! Doing the same thing, in the same area, being too comfortable (such as the parlor where comfortable furniture is located) Maybe I AM living in a lobster trap!!!

When nothing exciting is happening and you can’t seem to step forward and change things, there is an element of being trapped. So where is the escape hatch?

It's the one labeled - CHOICE!

Change will very rarely occur if you are sitting around and waiting for someone or something to come into your life and suddenly change it for the better.

YOU are the only one who can really make the difference. The Eagles said it best

“So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains and we never even know we have the key”

Choosing to act and create something new can change your everyday life. The feeling of being more in control of your time, energy and patterns has a sense of freedom, allivieating that "stuck" feeling.

Once you have opened the hatch how do you free yourself from the trap and allow yourself to venture out and enjoy life again? I know what you are about to say, but wait, “Mik I don’t have it all figured out! So, what! “Neither do I” We don't have to have it figured out, we just need to choose to start a different pattern than what is keeping us stuck.

Taking the first step is crucial!

We may not have a plan for the end results; however, the beginning is more important. Taking the first step is one of the most important things you will do to create change.

Get out of your own head! Learn to relax, let things go and enjoy being you. You can’t control everything and you may discover what you've tried may not be the right fit, it is okay to move on and try something else. The key word ; Move on! We learn and discover within everything we do. The empowerment is you attempted something new.

Stay open minded and ask yourself why you may say “no” to something. Many times, we say “No” because it is our default answer, Stop and think of what would happen if you said Yes? I have had to stop and think of why I would say “No” I had a time where a group of my friends ask me to go hiking. I really didn’t feel like going. At least that what I thought. Until I made a conscious effort and really addressed why would I not want to go. What was so damn important that replaced time outside having fun with friends. I thought to myself “I got nothing” – I grabbed my hiking boots a water, met up with them and had an amazing time!!

You don’t have to do anything drastic, Start with the small things. What is one thing you have wanted to do? Try a new food, take a drive a different route, (the beauty of gps on our phones, you can safely "get lost" ) meet new friends, join a networking club, it doesn’t matter. Just make the conscious choice to try something different. – Make a list and pick one thing that you can kickstart outside the norm. Make a promise and a commitment to yourself to do something different once a week. Think of it as compounded fun after a year!

There is a freedom of you independently controlling your own decisions.

You have a whole “Ocean” to discover. Stay away from the eels who will zap the life out of you and don’t swim with the sharks who will eat your dreams.

Rise to the surface, feel the sun on your face, and let the current take you to paradise!!

Live Wild and Free – CM