But what lies beyond the bend? Have you ever stopped to look at a photo of a winding road and wondered what comes next?
As a girl, I had a passion for these images; they always piqued my curiosity about what lay ahead. Today, when I drive on unfamiliar roads, I stay alert, watching the curve. Sometimes there is nothing unusual, but other times, I am met with a spectacular view.
We won’t always find a beautiful path ahead, nor will we always have breathtaking landscapes. Sometimes, the road may seem bleak or unattractive. The question lingers: should I keep going or change my route? And what if you don’t feel like doing either?
Feeling stuck doesn’t mean you’ve lost your motivation or your way. Personally, I felt exactly like that: stagnant in front of my laptop screen, with no inspiration for this column. I had to remind myself of what I wrote before: “Where there is a will, there is a way.”
But what about the days when the “will” decides to take a vacation? What about when the path is covered by a fog so thick that even the strongest coffee cannot dissipate it?
It is in moments like these that we must remember that a “Mind Full” cannot be “Mindful.” Reflecting on the practice of Mindfulness, I realize that I need to step back to give space to my true self — without haste, without pressure.
Ian Tuhovsky reminds us in his book that we must “develop a so-called ‘Nonjudgmental Awareness’ to overcome discouragement and negative thoughts, stay true to the practice, and continue becoming a more focused, calm, disciplined, and peaceful person on a daily basis.”
Accepting that we are not perfect is the fundamental step to opening paths that seem uncertain. Standing before the fog may feel discouraging, but it does not mean defeat. In my case, I only needed to stop, feel my breath, and return at a moment when I felt free — without a rushed schedule and without worrying about tomorrow.
The fog covering my laptop today wasn’t a roadblock; it was an invitation. By embracing the emptiness and breathing without haste, the curve finally revealed itself. And what did I find beyond it? It wasn’t an external landscape, but the internal peace of knowing that my will hadn’t died; it just needed silence to find its voice again. Now, the road is clear. And I move forward, as curious as that little girl, to see what spectacular view life has reserved for me next.
And you? What do you believe lies beyond the bend?
