Just Walk Through the Puddle
A few weeks ago, I went out to the trails in East Tennessee with a friend. It had stormed for days, and we knew the waterfalls would be stunning—so off we went. But we didn’t expect the trail itself to be completely flooded.
From the moment we started, we were hopping from rock to rock, trying to keep our feet dry. We’d climb up muddy hillsides, grab onto trees, scramble around puddles, and dodge the rushing water. It was a full-body effort just to avoid getting wet—and it was exhausting.
Then, about halfway through the hike, I misstepped. My foot slipped right off a rock and went straight into the water. My shoe and sock were soaked instantly.
It surprised me. I’d been concentrating so hard to avoid that exact moment, and now it had happened. A small failure, sure—but something shifted immediately.
That one soggy foot was the turning point.
Suddenly, there was no reason to keep dancing around the puddles. I stopped zigzagging. I stopped burning extra energy on acrobatics. I just… walked forward.
The second half of the hike? I finished in half the time. I stopped noticing the water. Honestly, it became kind of fun to splash through the puddles. What felt like obstacles just minutes earlier were now… nothing. They didn’t even register.
And it made me wonder: how often do we waste our energy avoiding discomfort?
How often do we make things harder on ourselves—not because we can’t handle the thing—but because we’re afraid of what it might feel like? We tiptoe around conversations, decisions, truths, or changes. We try to stay comfortable, because the unknown might be messy.
But here’s the thing: it’s rarely as bad as we imagine.
That “splash” moment might sting. But after that? You’re free.
So think about something you’ve been avoiding lately. A conversation, a decision, a shift you know is coming. Something that feels too uncomfortable to face head-on.
And then ask yourself:
Why are you making this harder on yourself?
You’re stronger than you think.
And your feet will dry.
