Stasis: a state or condition in which things do not change, move, or progress ~ Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Most of us go through periods of stasis in our lives. We get stuck in the groove of every day life, too caught up in surviving financially to deal with our personal growth and development.
Most times, I despair of these periods. Often, they are happening for a while before we clue into it, and then we stop and say, “Hey, wait a minute! this isn’t what meant to do!”
Then we become frustrated. Actually, I think that we start to become frustrated, and then try to figure out why. Usually the answer is we’re in a state of stasis.
Sometimes, these periods are not too bad. I try to think of them as a bit of a rest, though usually the last thing that’s happening is actual rest. I find myself stuck in stasis when I’m up to my ears in my job. I love teaching, but some semesters it’s a job, the endless grind of reading, grading, explaining the same thing over and over and over again.
But I do know that stasis is not a good state for humans. We need to be evolving, growing, changing, because if we’re not, we’ll soon start devolving, shrinking, dying.
Of course, the best first step to breaking stasis is to realize we’re stuck. Sometimes, that’s all we can do at the moment, but awareness usually brings the desire for change, and desire is the catalyst.Conscious stillness is a decision, but stasis is a trap.