In the wintertime, one of my favorite hobbies is to lean my head against the window. I love to feel the rain pouring outside. It is fascinating. Just being there triggers my mind to wander. I travel in and out of both sides of the glass like an endless dance.
A couple of days ago, while sipping a hot tea, I end up revisiting a thought I often experienced every time I entered the long hours of the night — a story about darkness before daybreak.
I remembered to be with friends, talking, and talking during long summer nights. Sometimes seated around a bonfire, we would drive our arguments until the blazes extinguish. Little by little, the quietness took over our attention.
Just before the first daylights, it seemed that the color in the skies was darker than ever. Before birds, bugs, and friends start the day, there are no sounds whatsoever. For a fraction of time, I thought the day would not rise, the light would not come, and we would be plunged into an obscure existence forever. An insane taught I know, but crazy enough to invade my mind and make me wait anxiously.
In our life, we all have moments that we cannot be sure about what is coming up with a new dawn. It can lead to inquire about the meaning and purpose of our existence.
Something that in different cultures and traditions, is tied to the concept of the Dark Night.
We don’t know how long it will take to reach the aurora, that’s a fact. We also don’t know if we have the patience and resilience to wait until the beginning of a new day. That we only learn afterward.
I remember one night last year when we had to start one of our mentoring programs at 5h00AM. During the first couple of hours, we walked without the moon or any light. Among a thousand different thoughts, I was wondering if the sun would visit us on that day.
With the sound of our footsteps in the background, I gazed into the sky. I recognized how mysterious and, at the same time, incredibly beautiful, the unknown laid in front of my eyes was. I think my fears and hesitations made everything even more special.
I have been walking with many people that have been facing moments similar to a Dark Night. It might be hard to accept, but there is something unique about the challenges life places in front of us.
Every dark moment has a considerable amount of hope inside, and it is our responsibility to courageously carry it to the light and unveil life’s gift.
That might be the most important mission we have to accomplish in our lives.
If you think you need the time to step back and gain perspective into your life. It probably makes sense to look into the upcoming Walking Mentorship programs.
If you missed the last 0,00KM article, you can always listen to Spotify. A podcast for people that are walking towards the best version of themselves.
Upcoming Dates:
April:
Purpose Review | Camino de Santiago | 18-26
May:
Purpose Review | Costa Vicentina | 2-9
Spiritual Route | Rota Teresiana | 16-23
Offline | Oseira Monastery | 28-31
Keep walking with me
Joao Perre Viana
Founder of Walking Mentorship
