getting unstuck

It is a common refrain in life: I feel so stuck. I hate where I am, but I can't seem to find the discipline to make changes and get into a better situation. I am so unhappy I can barely find the strength to go on.

I read a comment similar to these today. The person was asking for Taoist advice about how to get yourself to be able to do everything you want to do to create or find that better life that you so desire. (Which is, of course, a noble desire . . . .)

I wrote a response, which although is short and simple, I believe truly is the key to finding the way out of stuckness . . . .

Accept that you are exactly where you need to be. Accept that you are perfect exactly as you are. Listen only to the voice within you that acts from love (of self, others, and life) and gratitude rather than desperation. Act on the small nudges that this voice gives you. I believe you can be completely content exactly where you are, as you are, if you see the situation as it really is. Only by doing this will you be prepared to move forward, if that is where your path leads. I worked for the very first personal coach in the 1990s, and one thing he wrote has never left me: Make the present perfect. Strive to do this gently and in the spirit of acceptance, and your life will unfold as it should.

If someone were to ask me what is at the heart of Taoism, I would say it is these ideas. If you can simply accept yourself and your life where you are right now, you will be well on your way to a life of peace and contentment.