An anchor is used on a ship to hold the vessel in place. It’s normally a heavy metal object attached to a cable that can be cast overboard to hold the vessel in a particular place. That word and associated symbolism can be used in our life as well. There may be people, processes, or places in our lives that serve as an anchor for us. They keep us grounded in tough times, provide clarity in uncertainty, and direction when we get lost.
As important as it is to hold firm in a particular place in challenging times, there are times that we need to move forward. While those “anchors” in our life can be positive factors, there are also negative connotations of “anchors” as well. Negative anchors keep us from moving forward, keep us from growing, and keep us from new experiences.
As you consider your life, are there anchors you need to deal with to move forward?
Holding on to anger is an anchor! You are convinced that the other person doesn’t deserve forgiveness, so you hold on to the anger. Maybe they don’t deserve or even seek your forgiveness but releasing that anger may just be the best gift to yourself that you can give. It may be the freeing experience you need to move forward in life and experience the joy you desire.
Harboring resentment is another anchor! Something went down that was not fair, and you are resentful. You deserved better, and yet someone else benefited. Maybe it was a promotion, an award, an opportunity, or any number of other things. Life is not fair. It never has been and never will be. You can choose to hold on to that resentment like an anchor or you can choose to release it and move forward as a gift to yourself.
A pessimistic or negative approach to work, to relationships, or to life in general can also be an anchor! This view normally results from a negative experience or encounter and happens to all of us at some point. The real question is how we allow it to impact us. We can dwell on the negative experience and allow it to turn us negative or we can choose to look beyond it and free our thoughts to seek a new opportunity for joy and fulfillment.
Circumstances can also become a negative anchor in our lives. There are some tough health concerns to deal with, uncertain financial matters to be addressed, troubled relationships to navigate, as well as any number of other challenging circumstances to face. These can be very hard, but they don’t have to be a negative anchor in our lives. If we allow them to be that “anchor”, we have essentially already lost the battle. If we can accept the circumstances and seek to just take the right next step, we can pull that anchor in and continue to “live”.
Regardless of the anchor(s) in your life, the question for you to consider is whether it’s time to move forward and make a gift to yourself. Is it time for you to free yourself of that anchor and move forward? If you don’t want to do it for anyone else, do it for yourself. You deserve it!
