THE SQUIRREL CAGE

IT STOPS TURNING WHEN WE STOP RUNNING

Yep, that’s life. Round and round we go. Let’s take a time out, and see what it feels like to be still for a few moments. Of course, I’m talking about the spinning in our minds.

Others influence us as much as we allow, but the buck stops at home. We are our own best friends, if we will allow, and when we do not allow, we become our own worst enemies.

“What? Self-respect? Are you kidding me?” I know, we think we know ourselves, and to some degree we do. But, when that “knowing” leaves us feeling, “Something ain’t right”, it is an accurate feeling. The something that is not right is inside my head (remember Pink Floyd).

How it comes about that we are so often so self critical differs for each of us, but some of the origin is held in common. Parental influence usually plays a significant role. But, usually it is unfair to attempt to scapegoat our parents for our personal ghosts we allow to haunt us. When we are “of age”, the time comes for personal responsibility to make our own choices.

Yes, we allow our cage to spin because we feel compelled to run. Why? Not a simple answer for that one. Some of us somehow become “perfectionists”. This grows out of so many different sources I’ll not now attempt to ferret through the origins of “guilt”. When we are attempting to be perfect, by some arbitrary metric, we virtually require guilt to take up residence, since “perfection” is not atainable by us mere mortals.