You're stuck. You feel like you're running in place on an endless hamster wheel of the same thing, over and over again. So you want out. But no matter how many times you try to jump out, a head first dive, maybe even a roll, but you just end up tripping on your own feet and rolling around the same hamster wheel you were just on. How do you jump off you may ask? I don't know. You started reading this thinking I had a solution, huh? Well, just like you, I'm in the same boat. Or hamster wheel, whichever metaphor you prefer. Either way, we're spinning our wheels and going nowhere fast. How do we get off? So far, I've tried an assortment of things.
Dating a different man every month? Ahhh, a good option. A solid change for a single gal. Who could turn down a free meal every once in a while? Certainly not me. So I embarked on the journey of a "Mr. of the Month." Someone once said, "she wrote well because she lived courageously." So I courageously marched on. Some dates were better than others. Some led to day dreams, while some led to nightmares. OK, so maybe not nightmares, but you get my drift. Either way, the point is I'm still single, and I am definitely still peddling on my hamster wheel, faster than ever. Men are not the answer to your hamster wheel problems. Especially not one every month.
So a road trip with a friend is definitely the next step. At least that's what all of those "Top Ten Things To Get You Out Of Your Rut" lists you see on Facebook suggest. So an eight-hour round trip, the Texas Prison Museum, and a rugby game in less than 24 hours left me wore out. Loud music, a great friend, and good food should pull you right out of the rut you may find yourself in. Ha. Just kidding. That won't work, either. While it will certainly take your mind off of things, it will not cure the running in circles problem. It merely takes your attention away from the fact that you are going nowhere fast.
So panting and out of breath (because I am in horrible shape and DQ Blizzards are my best friend), I have come to a conclusion to the hamster wheel theory. Just get a bigger wheel. Add things to your life that have meaning. We are all hamster wheeling to one unfortunate (or fortunate, if you're a glass-half-full kind of person) destination and there's really no getting off the wheel. Find people to distract you from the running who add meaning to the spinning. If you can fill your life full of things you love and things you are passionate about, feeling like your wheels are spinning in place isn't such a big deal. As Tumblr would say "Live, love, and laugh." So whether you’re running on a hamster wheel of doom, or paddling down the river Styx, keep in mind that it’s not where you end up, but what you accomplished while you were there that matters.
