How to Get Un-stuck From a Spiritual Plateau
Mar 31, 2023I see so many spiritual seekers not only in sessions but also in my courses and communities who feel stuck all. The. Freaking. Time.
And it's not because they aren't meditating, or pulling their tarot cards, or journaling, or doing their shadow work. We’re all doing our best to live an aligned life. And yet, blocks and plateaus are super common.
And the advice we get within the spiritual community when we’re brave enough to ask for direction often sounds like:
“You just need to spend more time meditating or contemplating it.”
“Have you tried calling in your Guides/Archangel Michael?”
Or worst of all: “The answers are within.”
As if you hadn't already tried all of that. But if the things you’ve been trying haven’t worked, continuing to try them isn’t the answer.
A lot of us are doing the repetitive motions of constantly trying to heal, trying to meditate or do all the “right” spiritual things but we’re not taking the steps that actually get us out of stagnation and back into flow.
So today I’m sharing how you can get unstuck from a spiritual plateau.
And spoiler alert: it doesn’t have anything to do with meditating more or just going within.
The first thing that’s important to understand is, how do we get ourselves into these stuck positions in the first place? Here are the top mistakes I see all people making that prevent their forward momentum:
1. Perfectionism
If you identify as a perfectionist, you typically struggle with just getting started. Wanting to ensure everything ends up perfectly is a common self sabotage maneuver to prevent potential failure and heartache.
This can sometimes present as wanting to know every single step and the exact consequence of taking it before you allow yourself to even get started. It can also show up for you as feeling like you have to be the one to do everything, that nobody else can do it as well as you and so you don’t collaborate or ask for support.
2. Not Exploring Possibilities
So often we don’t even think to ask more questions or explore options other than the initial ones we can see in front of us. We get locked into this super narrow viewpoint and don’t realize that there are far more choices we could make that we likely haven’t even considered.
A lot of us grew up in households where we didn't have a voice or a choice, and we’ve carried those behaviors, mindsets, and limitations into adulthood. This is where getting curious and digging into where this limited thinking stems from so you can clear it is super important. Doing so allows new patterns and pathways in our brains and bodies to open up so we can see a wider perspective on what’s possible and therefore be able to choose differently from a higher state of consciousness.
3. Plugging Into Limited Belief Systems & Information Grids
I see this especially in the awakening & healing communities, where everyone is regurgitating the same information and narrative they’ve heard from someone else, rather than sharing from their lived experience.
One example may be when we worship or idolize our instructors and teachers when we train for a new certification or modality. We try to re-create and mimic their way of doing things to a tee, rather than looking at how we can blend what they’ve shared with us into our own way of doing things. It’s like wearing perpetual blinders on to everything else that’s out there because that’s not how our teacher taught us it should be, sometimes tossing out information and skills we’ve picked up long before we took this class or training that work just as well (or better).
This can also present as depending on another person to get us results. Feeling like we can’t move forward until we’ve had a session or taken a course with so-and-so. And I don’t have the money/time/energy/insert-whatever-else-is-lacking here, and so I’m going to stay stuck here until someone magically saves me from this situation. We can sometimes plug into disempowerment programming, where we feel the next certification, the next healer, the next online course or program might be our saving grace rather than taking action with what we can do in this moment.
4. Resisting Change
What a contrast that deep down, we as spiritual beings deeply crave change and newness, and yet at the same time we will avoid stepping through the doorways towards change almost every time the opportunity presents.
Whether it's fear of letting go of things that need to crumble, fear of uncertainty, or fear or operating at a higher capacity (and who you might leave behind in the process), you may be inadvertently putting up blocks and stop points that keep you comfortably stuck in the in-between rather than looking for the next gateway to claim it.
5. Lone Wolf Syndrome
Not accepting help and support is a form of self sabotage. Sometimes we have dreams that simply require a team, outside help, or buy-in and support from those closest to us. But we can’t get them on board if we don’t share the vision and open up to receive their assistance.
Buying into the identity of the Lone Wolf and feeling bad for yourself, but refusing to allow others in on your dreams and schemes so they can help lighten the load, either by being a fierce cheerleader or rolling up their sleeves to carry part of it with you, is a form of death programming.
6. Jumping from One Thing to the Next
Many visionary types have a constant stream of ideas flowing to and through them. Sparks of inspiration and new exciting opportunities abound, but when was the last time you actually finished one of them?
It’s easy to get sidetracked by the shiny and new, but where true momentum lies is in taking that initial idea across the finish line so it can become whole in this 3D reality. Ideas aren’t worth anything if they’re left unfinished.
7. Keeping Your Circle Too Small
I get it: you FINALLY have some like-minded folks who are just as aware of the old paradigm crumbling as you are. However, don’t fall into the sneak temptation of only looking to your spiritual friends for guidance and inspiration.
A lot of us make the mistake of only talking to the same circle of people all the time. And we fail to create new bridges. By avoiding these new bridges, we avoid all the people that are holding a piece to the puzzle and miss out on important connections and insights that our current circle simply doesn’t possess.
8. Looking In the Same Places
Sometimes we need to look in an entirely different direction in order to ground in our next set of data. This can be in your social connections, like in the previous point about keeping your circle too small. But it can also be in the media you consume, courses you take, and places you go.
What do I mean by this?
If you’re stuck on a spiritual problem and you’ve tried all the spiritual tools and talked to all the spiritual people you know but you’re still stuck, the answer to your problem likely isn’t going to be found in a spiritual place.
9. Staying in Your Comfort Zone
As a seven-figure business owner with a major focus on all things “woo” and magical, I worked closely with a business coach to get me to this new level of income who doesn’t believe in metaphysics and energy at all and is deeply religious. But she had the skills and knowledge to take me where I want to go next. I didn’t care what or who she worshiped. I saw her as a person who held a bridge for me and was able to speak to me on the level of one business owner to another.
Some of my current and past healing clients have been Christian pastors and members of the Mormon church. Some have been atheists. Many have had different backgrounds and beliefs from me, and yet we were able to work together to get them the results they were after.
And it’s because I don’t shy away from those who are different from me. I embrace differences and honor each person’s story. I look for what I can learn from them, just as much as they are learning from me.
If we can be open to exchange codes between one belief system and another, we can pick up things from one another that we can each take home at the end of the day.
But when we’re close minded–and a lot of people in the awakening communities are, unfortunately–we become intolerant to a lot of the different belief systems out there and we miss the vision for what humanity can be that we came here to share with each other.
And we shut down flow and say no to those beautiful bridges of connection that happen with other people who might have a nugget of wisdom to move our things forward.
If you are ready to shake things up and do things differently, here are my top 3 tips for getting un-stuck no matter what situation you are in:
Tip #1: Look at What You Have Been Avoiding
It can be as simple as taking an inventory of where you’ve been in avoidance or resistance. Some questions to get you started:
Who in my life have I been actively avoiding because they think differently than me, and it’s too uncomfortable to talk to them?
What intuitive nudges or messages from my body have I been getting lately that I’ve been ignoring?
What decisions have I put off making?
What conversations have I put off having?
Where have I been compartmentalizing my healing and growth and leaving a part of me behind?
What perspectives on this topic have I turned a blind eye to because they don’t align with my own perspective and beliefs?
What triggers have I been afraid to look at?
What emotions do I regularly avoid experiencing?
Are there opportunities showing up that would allow me to get out of my normal routine and start meeting some new people in a totally different way?
What have I not even considered as a possibility here? What else is possible?
Your body may also require some actions in order to process the next data set of information. Our bodies can only hold as much awareness and light as they are healthy. And if our system is bogged down and it's not working close to optimally, we can't get our next level of information.
And so you might actually have to bring your body along at the same speed that you're trying to advance your spirituality.
Tip #2: Focus on Connection
Connection is one of our essential needs as human beings. Take this opportunity to look into your social wellness needs and how your mind is craving to connect, as well as opportunities to call in outside help, whether it’s hiring a new coach, signing up for an accountability group, starting a new group hobby, or attending a retreat or an event in your neighborhood. These can all help shift the momentum that you are looking for and maybe even make a friend or two along the way!
Tip #3: Move in Directions You Don’t Typically Go
Repeating the same routines and rituals will not open the doors you need because the key may be hiding in piano lessons, or a kayaking trip, or walking a different pathway home.
As multidimensional beings, it's crucial for us to be able to ground in our different planes of existence by stepping out of what’s expected and carving new pathways. And sometimes all it requires is infusing a little bit of PLAY.
