Some things are like pushing a boulder uphill.
We start off at the bottom of the hill. There’s just us, the boulder, and the task at hand – getting it up that incline to rest on the plateau above.
We start from a dead stop. At first, it doesn’t look like our effort is doing anything. We push, and push, and push… but nothing is happening.
Then, suddenly, it starts to move.
It’s gradual at first. A tremor. Then a shift. Then – finally! – forward motion.
This is just the start. Because the sternest challenge is yet to come.
Going from zero to one is difficult. When we finally feel things moving forward, it’s something to celebrate. But we’re far from done.
Every inch of ground we gain on the climb upwards is hard-won. We can’t rest on our laurels: even maintaining our current rate of progress – or preventing a backslide – requires dedicated effort.
The ascent leaves us tired.
At the quarter mark…
The halfway point…
or even when we’re almost at the finish line…
It never gets any easier.
We might feel like giving up at these critical milestones.
With so much given and so much yet to come, how could we possibly continue?
But continue we do.
And eventually, something shifts.
Suddenly, the friction disappears.
We stagger for a second as our arms and legs adjust to the decreased resistance.
We pause and take in our surroundings.
We’ve summitted the incline.
A quick look backwards shows the conquered hill – and our starting point, so far below.
A look around us reveals the view we were hoping for.
A look forwards shows us what comes next…
A path to continued progress, but one that will demand far less than the trip here.
We summon up our strength and roll that boulder to the edge of the precipice.
All it takes is a gentle nudge & we’re in motion once again.
This time, rather than needing to sweat and strain to get things moving, momentum is on your side.
The journey downhill has a life all of its own. It’s almost harder to keep it up with it than it was to get it here in the first place!
And soon – all too soon – we’ve come to a stop once more.
The boulder rests at the bottom of the hill. A flat patch of ground. Far from where it began, but in similar circumstances once again.
We look backwards to see the incline we’ve left behind.
The edge of the precipice above seems so far away. But it feels like we were there only moments ago.
We look forwards to see the new object of our attention:
A steeper incline, a higher plateau, and a new obstacle to conquer.
We don’t expect it to be easy. But rather than being disheartened, we’re revitalised…
Because the same energy that brought us here will continue to propel us forward.
Commitment to the process.
Understanding that every uphill struggle will be balanced by a downhill descent.
And knowledge that, no matter how high the hill or fine the views we see from its summit, our journey continues.
With that, there’s only one thing left to do:
Begin to push once more.