This is the nature of the process!
Throughout the writing of my PhD, for three solid years, the mountaintop was visible against a sunlit sky. And every morning, every single morning, I’d pull on my boots and strap on my backpack, only to find the moment I began climbing I lost all sense of where I was going.
And every day, every single day, by day’s end I’d be sliding down the mountain to the bottom, nursing the bruises on my knees and the scrapes on my hands, eyes on the mountain as I made ready to begin again the following morning.
Writing a book? Building a social media profile? Walking on pilgrimage?
From afar, the way up the mountain is lit bright against the sunlit sky. Yep, you think, ‘I’ve got this’. ‘I know what I’m doing.’ ‘I know where I’m going.’ Step towards the mountain, and fffsssssh, all certainty vanishes.
The elements of the mountain are in your face, and there is only one thing to do. Lean into the mountain. Step by tiny step in the dark, keep going. Occasionally there will be light, the mist will clear, the forest will part, and the top of the mountain will be visible again. Until it’s not.
Ultreia: we show up, we keep going. We learn to trust the process.
If you want a guide and an inspired group of mountain climbing buddies, the next Ultreia book writing support program starts in February – and we’ve opened up a Thursday group as well as the Wednesday – save $155 on bookings before Christmas. There’s 2 places in each group left.
Show up, keep going.
Ultreia: show up, keep going.
Stephanie Dale is an award-winning journalist, author, researcher and founder of the International Wellbeing-through-writing Institute. In 2014 she launched The Write Road, a wellbeing-through-writing initiative for rural and remote Australians. She is passionate about pilgrimage, and in 2017 initiated Walk & Write Camino for pilgrim writers.