Now what?

I don't know what it means to be at the end of my rope.

Really, I don't know what it means to be at the end of anything.

Even though phases of my life have come and gone, changes have transpired, I've let some things go, I've said goodbye to more people than I have kept, even though moments have felt over and done with and I've grown up a little bit here and there, nothing really ever fully comes to close, a complete and utter stop, a door without a key. Our lives are continuous in that sense, whether we like it or not.

I'm never fully out of ideas or new adventures or words to say. I might feel a little blanked out or befuddled these days, but there is no such thing as a ceasing of creativity. It might take new avenues to discover it, or a new stretch of faith we also feel short of, but there is never a bottom line in what we are able to accomplish.

So what happens when you feel like you've exhausted all your options? You've applied at a million places, all of which are either unappealing or unattainable (so you imagine), you have yet to hear back from a single one, you are scraping at what is left of your dollars and cents, you can't imagine taking one more latte order, a friend of yours was recently hired or promoted, you hear more frustrating news about the ever-dipping economy, someone discourages your interest, and so on and so forth. Sounds familiar?

I suppose that's where the end-of-rope feeling begins to feel personally applicable. I suggest, instead, that we forge a new course. What haven't you tried yet? And I know the immediate answer to that feels like,

"NOTHING. I HAVE LITERALLY TRIED IT ALL."

That's because braving new options is tough. It doesn't really feel all that exhilarating to confess what you're really going through. It's embarrassing, usually. It's like dreaming about being naked in high school. Running for cover is really the only solution we can bear in mind.

I have a couple of suggestions that I myself have been attempting to incorporate into my ongoing search. Perhaps these are ones you have already thought of or tried.

1. Ask for advice. I know it seems like the last thing you want to hear is a long to-do list from some stuffy suit in a superior position. So ask someone you respect, someone whose choices you admire and can optimally learn from. Maybe this is someone you currently work with, someone you know, a family member. Who in your life can guide you in the right direction? If nothing else, a simple sense of encouragement is something we all could use a little more often.

2. Speak up. Talk about what you want! It's not boring or ordinary or hopeless. Be proud of what excites you. Be active and use your voice. You never know who you might discover on the listening end. It could be someone who has a connection you would otherwise never encounter. For example, a customer once offered to send my resume to a colleague of his at CBS. Nothing ever came of it, but I appreciated the kind gesture. Maybe something will come from the deed of your Good Samaritan. Nothing is impossible.

3. Try, try again. If you submitted a resume to a company six months ago and never heard anything, click the resend button. Be persistent. You aren't being pushy or overly confident. You are merely saying, this is important to me, and I'm not giving up. Send that message to both yourself, and the resume receiver.

No attempt at change can hurt. The trick is to believe in your endeavors. Trust me, I am aware of the challenge that lies therein. This world can pack a punch. The rope doesn't stop here, though. As far as I'm concerned, it goes on and on and on forever. So hang tight.