Getting Out of a Rut

“...And when you're in a Slump, you're not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done...”

-        Dr. Seuss, Oh The Places You’ll Go

University has a structure associated with it. A process and solidity that many find comforting. We go from one year to the next, attending lectures and seminars and completing assignments and tests. The campus, despite being large, becomes a second home and the friends that we’ve made along the way become family. But sometimes the regularity and predictability that the structure of school offers can become repetitive and dry. Boring. But it doesn’t have to stay boring.

Stepping out of our comfort zone can be a good thing. I’m a shy and reserved person and it’s easy to let that hold me back. It’s easy to want to withdraw from conversations or opportunities because I feel uncomfortable. When we sit in the background, we lose control of some aspects of our lives. We’re the only ones who can decide to step out of our comfort zones and take the risks that will ignite a spark of inspiration. Last semester, I blogged about attending my first yoga session (http://blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca/lifeatuoft/2012/12/05/yoga-lovin%E2%80%99/). At the session’s start, I felt like a fish out of water. I’m glad I stuck it out because I’ve found that yoga is a great way to relax for me. The world isn’t out to get us. I see some students who are prone to playing the victim. When they’re in a rut, they like to sit in their rooms wallowing in self-pity and complaining that the world is out to get them. When we feel left out or stuck, it’s natural for some of us to assume that it’s because other people are consciously trying to leave us behind. But it’s all a matter of perspective. Oftentimes, the only thing that is holding us back is our reaction to the world. The best way to get unstuck is to create work that we care about. So much of the work we do is mandatory. And I understand that it all has a purpose. But sometimes when we lack passion for this essay or that paper, we fall into a rut. You’ll notice that the people who are the happiest and the most successful are often the ones who believe in voicing their ideas. The ones who do the work they have to without shirking the work they want to do. A friend of mine writes for The Varsity. That means she has some extra research she has to do and some extra deadlines she has to meet but the fact that she enjoys it outweighs all the extra “work.” Doing something you’re passionate about is the best way to feel involved and stimulated. Ignoring the voice in my head that said “there isn’t a point to this” was the best thing that I did in university.

“...NO! That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escape all that waiting and staying. You'll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing...”

 -        Dr. Seuss, Oh The Places You’ll Go

Ishita