Leadership Magazines Issue 17 Scott & Rhonda Ford | Page 80

GET INSPIRED

Stuck in the Muck
BY JULIE BATES

“Down by the marsh, by the sleepy, slimy
marsh, one duck gets stuck in the muck.”

book club to share that growth with other like-minded people.
In all areas, I began pulling out of the muck.

This is a quote from a book I used to read to my
children, One Duck Stuck, by Phyllis Root. One duck
gets stuck in the muck and numerous friends come
to help. “No luck, still stuck.” It is not until the end
when they all work together that “spluck!”—he is
finally free. There is much truth in this. We frequently
need others to help us get unstuck, but change starts
from within.

As a psychologist, I have seen people try all sorts of unhealthy
and unfocused ways to try and get unstuck. They wait for
others to solve the problem. They hope for a “lucky break.”
They engage in unhealthy habits. They “splish, clomp, pleep,
plop, plunk, and slosh. No luck, still stuck.” It takes that
key moment of realizing, “This is not working. I need to do
something differently” to truly start to feel the pull of change.

As a clinical psychologist, my job is to help children and adults
learn to take responsibility for their behaviors and recognize
they have choices even in situations that feel out of control.
It is my job to help people learn that change is possible and
they do not have to stay fixed in the same cycles or patterns
of their past. I knew this, but I was not living it. I never realized
I was stuck, until I became unstuck. In many areas, I was
highly successful. I am an established clinical psychologist in
my community with a full practice. I bought a franchise and
quickly grew it into one of the top locations in the company.
I have a wonderful husband and four amazing children.
But still, I was stuck.
Although I valued the work I was doing, I was working
every day without passion. My weight had steadily increased
over the last 10 years. I was not forming new relationships
or challenging connections with others. I was frozen in
thoughts of, “This is just who I am.” I was stuck in patterns
of entertainment that did not help me grow or advance,
and I was mired in financial patterns that were not smart.
But, with that first bottle of do-TERRA essential oil, God said,
“Enough! Get unstuck!”
In July 2014, I started using and sharing do-TERRA, and I have
changed dramatically since that time. Finding essential oils
created a complete paradigm shift for my family. We changed
our eating habits. We eliminated our debt. We focused on
stewarding our own health and on self-development. I began
reading books that opened my eyes and my heart and started a
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dōTERRA ESSENTIAL LEADERSHIP I NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2015

The key to change is simple, and it is in our everyday activities:
our daily, small habits. Every day we make decisions that
impact the path under our feet and lead us into the muck or
up into the sky. For me, the first step was to open my mind to
new ideas and new opportunities. Each day I expose myself
to something inspirational. I opened myself to coaching; I
surrounded myself with other driven people; I submersed
myself in prayer. I felt like my heart was saying, “Help! Help!
Who can help?”, and God brought the gifts of the Earth to pull
me out and into a new world of opportunity.
You can find the same opportunity. Look around and identify
where you are stuck. Look down at the muck and take inven­
tory of the areas of your life that are not working. Take that first
simple step to start pulling yourself out. Do something different.
Strive to leave everyone you meet feeling better than they
did before they saw you.
■ Take 100 percent responsibility for yourself and your actions.
■ Look for ways to share the things that bring you joy, passion,
and strength.
■ Be a steward over your own physical, emotional, and
financial health.
■ Serve others.
■ Share the opportunity and the beautiful gifts of the Earth God
has provided us.
■

The past year has taught me humility, patience, and a new
level of responsibility for my path. Change is necessary in life,
and sometimes we have to get stuck to realize it is time to
change, time to cry out. If you are in the muck, it is time.
Feel the pull of change in your life. S

*Results not typical. Average earnings are less. See dōTERRA 2014 Opportunity and Earnings Disclosure Summary on doterratools.com.

www.doterra.com

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