A while back, a new friend told me a story of disappointment. That is her story and not mine to share. But a bit of advice was given to her and she passed it on to me. Those words changed my perspective on life.
“I hope you can step over it.”
I had a habit of piling all of my troubles into one mountain. Sure, I could still climb that mountain and get over those things, but it was a steep climb. Progress was slow and often painful. New obstacles were more than stumbling blocks, and I found myself sliding backward toward the low points. Restarting my upward journey was more difficult each time.
What would happen if I chose a different method of dealing with my troubles? It certainly couldn’t be any less productive than my current path.
When the next obstacle came rolling my way, it was a big one. A former co-worker was spreading rumors, telling people I had said horrible things about a former manager. It hurt, not just because he was saying those things, but because a few people believed his lies. Unwilling to work with him, I declined a fabulous opportunity to represent my company at community events while earning quite a bit of OverTime pay.
I wanted to deal with it later, set it aside for when the pain wasn’t so sharp. But then I remembered those words. And I didn’t add it to the mountain. I stepped over it. It took effort. It was a big step to take. But suddenly, it was behind me.
I stayed on my path. I didn’t have to recover altitude lost by stumbling.
Staying on my path, one step at a time.
As I stand and look up at the mountain I have built over the years, I no longer see a solid mass to be conquered. I’ve pulled several stones from the pile and stepped over them as well. The mountain is shrinking, falling apart. Some steps are harder than others. But as I tear out the smaller stones and step over them, the bigger boulders are losing their hold and rolling down, becoming smaller with each tumble.
It’s not about choosing my battles, nor is it accepting the problems as truth. I’m just over them. Moving on. One step at a time.
