Spiritual work
It's not a metaphor. It's very concrete.
Once you've understood that your outer problems are a reflection of your inner blocks, instead of thrashing around where it doesn't matter, you can go straight back to the source and transform what does.
That requires raising your level of inner perception.
It's not a gift. It takes practice.
Right now, I'm learning to spend more time in that space, to hold my attention more steadily on the inner workings.
When I come out, it's to find that out in the world, everything has gotten unstuck as if by magic. And all that's left for me is to enjoy the beauty of the world.