To get (an object to remain in position) without moving (something to be stuck at): “The stuck object was too high to reach.” “The plumbers tried to move it to a lower level but it was still too high to move.” “I stuck this tree in the middle of the road last week and it took forever to slide out of the way.” “A tree fell on me last week and I had to walk away because it really stuck me.”
How do we know what is stuck? The dictionary seems to say the following: “a difficult or impassible obstacle, especially for progress or motion.” But there are several other ways to define a stuck situation. In business, the stuck situation could be when there is an inability to get something accomplished because of a physical limitation such as a bust. In education, the stuck situation could be when the teacher or subject is not getting the response that they want from the student.
It could also be defined as when there is a deadlock in an important relationship. It could also be defined as when you can’t seem to find your way out of a box. You might say that the stuck spot is not a physical problem but a mental problem or inability to overcome obstacles. But whatever the case may be, stuck places are not good places to be.
So how do you get out of a stuck area? Well, how do you get out of a classroom, an airport, an elevator, a car, a bridge, a train, or even a supermarket? By doing what famous writer Hemingway did to escape from a saloon: “Just run down the street. The people there won’t try to harm you. They will just stand around as if you don’t matter, watch you, and then go on their way.”
If you feel that you are trapped in a situation where nothing seems to be going right, and nothing seems to be going wrong, do not panic. Be calm. Go for a walk, do something that requires your attention. Do not succumb to the “I am stuck” approach. Just take a look around you, and see what’s going on around you.
When you come across something that looks interesting, pick it up. Hold it still if it moves, do not move it. This will help you stay focus on what is going on around you and not on what is stuck in your path. In fact, if you do not get yourself to move, it may be that there is something stuck under you are not aware of it.