Today I didn’t want to get out of bed. Not sure if I should have blamed it on the grey skies, my sinus crisis, or just the fact that I was not feeling good.
As long as I remember, this reaction is rare, but it happens. And when it happens, it usually triggers in me a mixture of emotions. Let me explain.
My first reaction is typically not very positive. I somehow feel that I am betraying the life I was given by not showing up to my daily challenges, and that bothers me. But self-pity is usually a narrow path. The morning goes on. I drag myself to face my agenda and try my best to put my thoughts together. It is not easy, my mind keeps wandering, the clock doesn’t stop, and the weird feeling keeps growing inside me.
It is a little bit like feeling lost on a walk. You remember where you started, but you are not sure where you are now and how you should continue. Do you know the feeling? I am sure you have been there.
What can we do?
Insist on finding the right way by pure luck? Allow the taste of defeat to grow slowly inside your soul? What else?
Sometimes the best way for me to proceed is to go back to my initial position. Thinking about the core reasons for being here is more likely to assist me in returning to the right track.
There are a couple of things that help me to reroute my days.
The first one is on the right side of my desk, and it is visual. It is a photograph of my mom. I learned with her many things, but above all, the unbreakable attitude towards difficulties. She had the faith and the courage of an army of little ants. Looking at her picture helps me to accept being fully responsible for my life.
The second one is a sentence written on an A3 page glued on the left side of the wall. It is my purpose. A labor of love craft over the years. It is so simple and powerful that it leaves little room to have doubts about what I should next.
Back to my agenda, I might not be able to do everything I had planned for today, but I will do a few things that need to be cleared, and tomorrow we will continue.
A down day makes me more human, improves my respect for the hidden realities of each person I come across, and creates the room to aim forward and upward. Happy Down Day:)
If you think being in a trustworthy environment can help you take the first step forward, it might make sense to look into the upcoming Walking Mentorship programs. They exist among other things to help you think better!
April:
Purpose Review | Camino de Santiago | 18-26
May:
Spiritual Route | Rota Teresiana | 16-23
Offline | Oseira Monastery | 28-31
June:
Purpose Review | Camino de Santiago | 6-14
July:
Parents&Kids | Galician Coast | 11-18
August:
Parents&Kids | Galician Coast | 1-8
Purpose Review | Via Francigena | 15-21
Until then, keep walking with me
Joao Perre Viana
Founder of Walking Mentorship
