Pebble in your shoe
The weather in North Eastern United States is not always conducive for long walks. Whenever it is not snowing or raining or absolutely freezing outside I like to take brisk walks.
I love to go for a walk on the trail near my house. It is beautiful trail with streams and wooded area. I can see wildflowers blooming in the spring and summer and beautiful fall colors in the autumn.
The round trip walk is about three miles.
The weather was unseasonably warm for early December. I had to take advantage of this bonus day nature had offered me.
The trail was almost empty except for a few joggers. The trees which looked so beautiful and colorful just a few weeks back stood bare without any leaves.
As I started walking about a mile down the road a small pebble got in my shoe. At first it didn’t bother me much, but as I walked further down it became more noticeable.
I just decided to ignore it, thinking to myself I am already half way through. I kept walking.
After some time the feeling of the pebble in my shoe became very bothersome. I started looking if there was something around, like a rock or a tree trunk where I can sit down and take my shoe off to get the pebble out. I could not find anything, and I continued to walk.
Finally I came to a point where I could not take it anymore. I just leaned against a tree, took my shoe off and got the pebble out.
I could not believe how tiny it was.
I put the shoe on and continued walking; suddenly I realized I had walked past my favorite part of the trail, where the wooden bridge crossed over a small stream with crystal clear water. I always spot pretty birds by this place.
Normally I just slow down there and take in the view, listen to the birds call and sound of the flowing water. Today, I couldn’t tell if the birds were there or not, may be they migrated, I thought to myself.
On this particular day a small nuisance had taken over my mind so much that I did not notice the beauty of the surroundings. I was so engrossed and distracted by a tiny little pebble in my shoe.
It got me thinking, why didn’t I just stop and take action when I first felt that pebble in my shoe? Why did I wait till the pain became unbearable?
Don’t we sometimes go through our life with situations that are uncomfortable, hoping that it will be ok, and not take any action?
We wait for the situation to really become unbearable, and in the bargain miss some beautiful moments in our life. Then finally we take action when we can’t take it anymore. And then wonder why didn’t I do this sooner?
So, why wait?
This is your life. Live it on your terms. When something is uncomfortable give it some attention. Try to find a solution.Think about it, don’t ignore and wait for it to get out of hands. I am sure you have heard the adage, “A stitch in time saves nine”.
Do you have a pebble in your shoe that has been bothering you?
It may be a relationship that is not working. It can be your own irritating habit which you know you need to get rid of, but just choose to ignore instead.
Don’t wait for the pain to become unbearable to take action. Take action now, and enjoy your life!