Not long ago, I wrote about how unusually high-water levels affected the shoreline of Lake Erie this past summer. The beach was virtually erased and for several months, there was no beach to walk on at all.
Fortunately, our favorite beach at the bluffs has reemerged, and my husband, Jerry, and I have been able to return to our weekend strolls along the shoreline.
We were surprised to discover during a recent walk that a familiar area of the beach, a stream that is often cluttered with piles of driftwood, had not disappeared, despite being under lake water for several months.
This stream is always a memorable landmark on our walks because we never know what condition it will be in when we come up on it. Sometimes it is almost impassable, and other times it’s easy to cross over.
I must admit, there have been a few times when we’ve reached the stream where I looked at how far apart the logs were to walk over or how ice-glazed they appeared, and I had my doubts. This was especially true if the day was cold, and the thought of going for a frigid dip was not a pleasant one.
Jerry and I were discussing this as we balanced on a log that bridged across the stream. He recalled that although there have been times that we hesitated, there was never a time that we didn’t decide to rise to the challenge and go for it. And we always made it across to the other side.
He talked about how this is true with just about anything we’ve encountered in our lives. Even when we’ve been worried about how things will turn out, once we committed to moving forward, we always reached our goal.
And interestingly, it rarely was as difficult as we thought it would be.
When you face an obstacle, does your brain do that thing where it brings up every possible scenario that could go wrong with a dash of dramatic flair?
Well, if you’re human, then I guess the answer is probably “yes”.
Next time, notice what happens when you make a decision to push past your worries and commit to moving forward. Suddenly, your brain will make a shift, and thoughts of how to make it happen will override your fears.
This can be a subtle but mighty shift. Insight into this can help you move forward faster, with far less drama.
And interestingly, like with our stream crossings, it will rarely be as difficult as you think it will be.
Go for it!
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