I have to tell you, Wednesday was a really rough day. I felt overwhelmed with requests from people and with life in general. My wife’s having a rough time right now, we’re moving in about a month, and it was a gloomy day. Let’s face the facts: sometimes it feels like the day slaps you in the face.
So I found it hard to focus. I wanted to sit in front of the TV all day and eat Jalapeño Cheetos. But I didn’t have that luxury. I had to catch up on work I missed while I was out of town. I had an issue of Sunday| Magazine launching today. And if I don’t stay vigilant, I’ll find myself with no advertisers and no money in my pocket. It’s really hard to pay rent and buy food when you don’t have money.
I made it through the day. Barely. But I made it through. And it wasn’t some mysterious powdered beverage that gave me the strength. I don’t have any mantras or magic incantations. I did the same thing you need to do when you experience these days. I trudged through.
I don’t care how motivated or unmotivated you are. The way you climb a mountain is by putting one foot in front of the other. Whether you’re feeling it or not, you can’t climb the mountain until you take a step. Then you take another step. You keep walking until you get up the hill—or in my case, out of the pit.
And sometimes you can’t see where you’re going. You don’t see any hope in your steps. It might seem like you’re marching deeper and further into hell. It’s true. You might.
But you also might be getting out of the pit. It’s a 50/50 chance. And the only guarantee is that you can’t change your location until you’re willing to move. I’d rather trudge further into hell and eventually get out, than stand where I am for the rest of my life.
Maybe I’m being overdramatic, but sometimes life is hard. Even the silliest of problems can seem huge when you’re going through them.
But you can still do something that matters even in the midst of your anguish. You can be faithful. You can persevere. You can keep working. Just take one small step at a time. It might feel more like a stumble than a step, but keep going.
There’s a summit ahead, and the view is amazing.
I found your blog…um…somehow. I’ve spent the past 30 minutes reading it and just wanted to say thanks. So encouraging, challenging, and filling. Write on, brother.
Thanks so much, Heather. 🙂