Boulder
Hey friends! A few months ago, I wrote the short excerpt below. As I re-read it this week, it seems to resonate just as much, if not more today. I hope it sparks something in you as well.
In Montana, between Bozeman and Big Sky, there is a path cut by the Gallatin River. The road that follows this path creates one of the most beautiful and scenic drives I have ever experienced. My family and I have vacationed in Big Sky many times in the winter months for the incredible skiing in that part of the world.
When we make that drive, there is one landmark I always keep an eye out for… a large boulder that sits right in the middle of the river. It catches my attention every time because it seems so incredibly out of place. This giant rock right in the middle of the river’s path, shifting the water and snow that meet it. It almost seems rude. I’ve found myself looking at it thinking, “Excuse me sir, you are very much in the way.” Then, I begin to wonder, “How did you get here? How did you stay so long?”
For a while now, I’ve felt that my creativity has been stifled somehow. Like there is something standing in the way of me becoming the big, beautiful butterfly I am destined to be. Humble, I know, but gosh sometimes it feels so real. Like I am peering through foggy glass, and I can just about make out what’s on the other side… but alas, nothing definitive and nothing that feels actionable.
“How can I generate more flow?”
“How can I remove this obstacle?”
“Why is this gigantic boulder situated right in the middle of my creative energy, shifting my path and obscuring my view of what’s downstream?”
As I wrote this, wrapped in a blanket on the couch, with a cup of coffee on my lap; I had a massive “aha” moment.
What if the boulder is the magic? What if it was curiously and miraculously placed here? What if it directs the water passionately around it and shapes the river downstream? If I saw what was coming down the bend, would I still try for it? Would I think I was actually capable of making it there?
Maybe I’m asking the wrong questions of this block and this boulder. Let’s try this…
“How can I express my appreciation that you rolled into my path?”
“How are you shaping my creativity?”
“How are you shaping me?”
I am still working out this reframe for myself, but the shift has opened me to curiosity which sparks hope, excitement and even gratitude — all of which are better than where I started, or when I first met this big boulder.
Thanks for reading!
If this post resonates with you, I would so appreciate your sharing it with friends, loved ones, and colleagues.