Mountains or pebbles? which is your challenge?
Published: Thu, 01/29/15
“It isn't the mountain ahead that wears you out; it's the grain of sand in your shoe.” I was made aware of this quote in a sermon on Sunday morning. There seem to be various versions on the same theme. The grain of sand version is credited to a Robert W. Service who apparently was a Scottish poet. There is another version “It isn't the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it's the pebble in your shoe.” which is the one I heard on Sunday morning, online this is attributed to the world champion boxer Muhammad Ali. Either way it is an interesting quote.
Whatever the size of the challenge ahead you just have to face that it is what it is. You can’t make a mountain any smaller or easier to climb. But you can shake the foreign object out of your shoe, unless of course you want it there as an excuse for not climbing the mountain. Even then you would be better off just admitting to yourself that you just don’t want to do something after all and let it go. If you cannot walk properly because you have a stone in your shoe you are not a victim who is disabled, you simply have not removed some thing that should not be there.
The biggest stones I have are the ones in my mind. These are thoughts that tell me I can’t do things that I believe I want to do. Creating the Stav centre and teaching Stav is a mountain yes, getting people interested and responding by coming and learning starts to make a mountain range. That was always obvious but it is the thoughts and fears that come and go and slow down if not halt my progress. Of course as soon as one stone is shaken out another one seems to find its way in, but that is okay when you know how to get rid of it.
So whatever you are facing ask yourself the question; Is the problem insurmountable? Or is there something you could easily let go of, physically, mentally, emotionally, socially or spiritually that is the stone in your shoe?
If one of your mountains is learning Stav then the path is clear enough, up to you whether you can walk it or not. Training opportunities in UK, Sweden and the USA in the next 4 months. Please see list and links at http://iceandfire.org/calendar.html
regards
Graham
PS I was willing to teach a day foundation course this coming Saturday. I still am if there is any interest although I have had no bookings. If you are interesting in learning how to train in Stav this Saturday then please let me know today or I will cancel and get on with something else on Saturday. You can book here http://iceandfire.org.uk/train.html