Do you ever not know what to think or write or even feel.

Thoughts won’t come together in a coherent way and the idea of having a fully-formed opinion on anything seems impossible. You can go ahead and forget trying to come up with something that someone else would find even remotely valuable.

Comparison, fear, and too much good advice sneak in and give you that horrendous ball of itchy lead worms in your stomach (I don’t know how else to describe it beyond a literal ball feeling itchy, heavy, and wriggly all at the same time—mostly just gross).

Impostor syndrome creeps up and starts throwing mushy bags full of “you don’t belong here” in your face.

“You can’t create anything valuable because you’re not valuable.”

You start running circles in your own brain because this shouldn’t be so difficult, but then it is, so now you have to feel bad about that, too. And mostly you just sit there and stop focusing on moving forward but focus only on everything that’s going on around you which leads to getting massively, resoundingly stuck.

More than stuck, actually. Sinking.

Whether it’s resistance, writer’s block, or straight-up fear—it’s not an enjoyable experience, whatever you call it. It’s actually quite debilitating if you give it enough power.

There’s a reason that Peter only started to sink as soon as he took his eyes off Jesus and starting giving his attention to the noise and circumstances around him. Fear, and all the other stuff wrapped up in that, is a powerful force to be reckoned with.

So yeah, do you ever feel like that? Or is it just me? Because that’s definitely where I was at all day today.

Thankfully, I’ve discovered that one of the most effective ways for me to get un-stuck (and battle that rising fear-or-whatever-it-is) is to take a couple minutes to remove myself from the situation and get out of my own head. Stop dwelling on all the bad stuff, and thereby stop fueling the fire.

One way of doing this is through listening to songs that I affectionately refer to as “bigger than me” songs. They’re the ones that minister to my spirit, speak to my imagination, and sometimes (most of the time) make me cry. Most importantly, they help me refocus my attention on what’s truly important. They remind me of the grandeur of God.

I’ll physically remove myself from where I’m at, lay down, close my eyes, and listen to three or four songs that are turned up about as far as I can comfortably handle it. And then I let the music (and the Holy Spirit) do the rest.

Music has a way of soothing your spirit and mind in a way that few things can compare to. I think God designed us this way and gave us music for that purpose. Beauty, peace, creativity—those are all things that can be communicated and passed along without having to see anything at all.

And sometimes that’s when God speaks to you the best—when your spirit is quieted and you’re not trying to think your way out of it so much.

So, if you’re ever in a position where you’re really feeling that heaviness, that resistance—try closing your eyes and listening to some “bigger than you” music. Stop trying to force creativity. Be inspired. Put your focus on something other than yourself.

Here are some of my go-to songs. What are some of yours? Let me know in a comment below!