DAILY DRAW: Eight of Swords

The Eight of Swords is about feeling trapped, stuck, helpless .... but it's a helplessness of your own making. The woman in this card is bound and blindfolded. She's standing in a group of swords that look somewhat like a fence. But you'll see that she could easily walk forward and out of them if she wanted to. Her binds aren't impossible to get out of either. If she'd wriggle around a bit, move around, she could get out of them. She wouldn't need to be a Houdini ... just put in a little effort.

Have you felt like you're stuck in a situation you either can't or don't know how to get out of? We're never truly stuck unless we want to be. There are always options. Sometimes we prefer to play the victim rather than be proactive and do what we need to do to make our lives better. I'm sure you've heard the phrase "God helps those who help themselves." Or, as a friend of mine put it (and I've never forgotten it): "Freedom? Throw off your chains!"

A lot of times, there can also be a payoff by playing the victim. It gets us off the hook for doing what we need to do. It can get us attention. We tell other people our problems and cry "Poor me!" And then other people who feel the same way join in and tell us their sad stories. It becomes like a solidarity. Are you the member of a fraternity or sorority of chronic complainers?

Don't let your mind trick you into believing a bad or uncomfortable situation is non-negotiable. Take off your blindfold and see things clearly. Say goodbye to that feeling of martyrdom.