START!
"What is the best advice you have for someone who is facing a challenge they feel is insurmountable?"
In a word, START. I was asked this question this week and immediately, my mind went to the mountains because I just spent some time there. (I said I’d stop posting about the mountains but I didn’t say when!) The idea of climbing this seemingly “insurmountable” mountain begins at the bottom. Putting one foot in front of the other and starting somewhere. Along the way, the climb will get hard. There may be some paths that just don’t work and you have to find another way around them. You might have started in the wrong place or at the wrong time. But once you start, you can navigate. You learn what times you are the most efficient. And which leaves are poison ivy. And soon, you will get more comfortable with the navigation. You may even find yourself feeling like the source expert on some trails! But one thing is for sure: you will never reach the top of that mountain if you don’t start.
This is just the imagery that came to my mind but I also considered it in a more applicable sense and realized that most challenges worth facing do seem insurmountable at the start. But if it was easy, everyone would do it. I always want something to be perfect before I put it out. Or I’ll have an idea that seems so huge, I’m not sure where to begin. Or I get so bogged down in every little detail that the big picture disappears. Guess what happens with those ideas? They leave me. Liz Gilbert says in her book “Big Magic” that ideas are always floating around waiting on a person to grab it and bring it to life. If you don’t move fast enough for the idea, it will go find someone else who will. Like I totally invented the Snuggie. Too bad I didn’t move on that one…
The point here is that if you don’t start, you’ll most definitely never finish. By starting somewhere, you allow yourself the ability to get in whatever it is that is your challenge. You find ways to maneuver around obstacles. You learn from your mistakes and don’t make them again. Don’t quit when it gets hard or if you lose sight of the end goal. Keep moving and some days, even the smallest tasks – as long as they’re moving you forward – keep you going. Learn from each lesson. Enjoy the journey. Because all the lessons and joy and struggles along the way are what life is all about. It’s not always easy – but it’s ALWAYS worth it.
May you make some space this year that will start your path to your “insurmountable challenge”. Maybe it’s crow pose. Or starting your own business. Or writing a book. Or speaking in front of a large group. Or running a marathon. Whatever it is, take action. START. And big things will come. (Here's my proof that with work comes progress. It's not perfect, but it's a start!)
