28

Overload

‘The world is too much with us; late and soon,

Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers:’

William Wordsworth

The situation has reached crisis point. You are under such great pressure that something has to give. To lighten the load you are carrying, you must take prompt action, but nothing can be forced. You cannot know what to do for the best without first understanding the underlying cause of the problem. There is a distinct lack of balance in this situation. Your own attitudes may be at fault in that they may be too one-sided or obsessive. You could be too aggressive, for example, too fearful – or even too determined to do something for which you do not have the appropriate gifts or skills. The source of stress could also lie within a relationship. Somebody may be exaggerating their feelings or behaving in an unacceptable way. But no matter what the particular issue, serious adjustments have to be made so as to redress the balance.

An opportunity for personal growth

Stop trying to meet all the demands made on you, whether they are made by others or are self-imposed. It makes life far too confusing and complicated. You must sort out your priorities. What do you really want to happen? Where do your true responsibilities lie? Look at all the factors involved. Consider everything which claims your time and attention. Once you know what your aim is, you can begin to organize your life around it. Inevitably this will mean giving up something. But you must be firm and protect your own best interests, even if this means having to go it alone. If you can find the courage to make the necessary changes, success is assured.

Further aspects of the situation

SIX AT THE BEGINNING

Be extremely careful. A successful outcome depends on paying great attention to detail at the beginning. Your planning must be meticulous.

NINE IN THE SECOND PLACE

Strange or unexpected developments bring new life into the situation. Unusual partnerships are favoured and off-beat ways of dealing with things.

NINE IN THE THIRD PLACE

Beware of being stubborn and arrogant. If you refuse to cooperate with others and insist on pushing ahead on your own, you will isolate yourself. This would be extremely unfortunate.

NINE IN THE FOURTH PLACE

Because you enjoy a great deal of support, you are now in a position of strength. If you use your abilities to help others, matters will go very well. But if you are greedy and misuse your resources for your own ends, you will be the loser in the end.

NINE IN THE FIFTH PLACE

Face facts now. If you wait too long before taking action, the situation will go beyond the point where you can make a difference. Get to the root of the matter. Otherwise even your best efforts to put things right will produce no results.

SIX AT THE TOP

To have any hope of success means taking huge risks. Something will have to be sacrificed. Only you can decide if the price is worth paying. Nobody has the right to judge you.