Julie Gray has been my holistic time and stress coach for years… the reason I love her so much is because, like me, she knows your ultimate solution comes from shifting your inner game. I thought you’d really like this article she wrote about getting more out of life.

My Epiphany

In the summer of 2008 I had a small but powerful epiphany. 

I had made it a goal for the summer to run up a massively steep hill near my apartment in Arlington, VA. After months of trying I still couldn’t reach the top without having to stop and walk.

One day I got really frustrated. How could I not get myself up this hill? Why was this so hard for me?! 

And then a voice – other than my own – appeared in my mind and very clearly stated, “You are on the right hill.”

That’s it. These were the only words this voice shared and yet I was taken aback by their implications. 

All of a sudden it became clear to me that once I climbed the top of this hill I would just go find another hill to climb. 

In that moment I knew climbing this exact hill was the only place I needed to be. I didn’t have to push harder or do more. All I had “to do” was enjoy this hill.   

I could see how true this was for my life and also for the business I had just begun the year before.

I was being given a sneak peek into the best possible way to grow a successful business: relax into the climb, be patient, and enjoy the process.  

What Happened Next

I wish I could tell you that I took this powerful message to heart and never forgot it for a moment. 

But that would be a lie.

The truth is I forgot this lesson pretty much the moment I arrived back home. And I’ve had to relearn it a thousand times since.

Here’s why:

1. I’m human. This is what we do. Forgetting our most precious lessons is actually a part of the climb. And so is learning how to bring ourselves back to our truth each time we stray from it.  

2. I’m impatient. So impatient that at different times I have been willing to sacrifice my health, relationships, and enjoyment of life in order to climb faster. Hurrying to the top of the hill makes a lot of sense if we mistakenly believe that our peace and happiness lies at the top of the hill (or the end of our to-do list)!

3. I’m tired. OK I’ll admit it. There is a part of me that gets really tired of the climb. Sometimes I just don’t want to climb anymore. Maybe I’m lazy. Maybe I’m terrified of constantly putting myself “out there”. Maybe I just want to “make it” to the top so that climbing becomes optional.

The Illusion of Thought

The only problem with this line of thinking is that it is totally delusional.Because we are always climbing. Part of the great cosmic joke is that even in our refusal to climb we are still climbing. We are just doing so with a lot more resistance to the process. 

This delusional thinking points to another powerful insight that landed a few years ago that finally made this lesson stick for good: It’s all thought. 

My interpretation of the climb or the hill or my impatience is only ever coming from my thinking. And my thinking is always shifting moment-to-moment. 

Which means my experience of the climb is also shifting. When I saw that I don’t have to change my thinking to be OK – just to see it as illusory thought – my world shifted. 

Now I can have ups and downs and not worry about how long they will last. I can enjoy the view on whatever hill I am on and no longer be concerned that it is somehow delaying my peace, prosperity, or productivity. 

When we see the true nature of thought – the benefits in our lives – and those of our clients – are truly endless.

 Interestingly, back in 2008 – a few weeks after hearing this voice inside my head – I ran up the entire hill from bottom to top and then some. And you know how I did it? Slowly. One conscious step at a time.

 Julie Gray, COC, is a Time and Stress Coach who helps individuals and organizations all over the world easily transform their time, stress, and stuck habits leading to rapid increases in productivity, creativity, and overall well-being.

 Want to unload some of your stress around time and health and stop pushing so hard for results?  Julie is doing a special FREE workshop to show you how here.