Sometimes, it’s during those really long stretches of hard work without visible results that you really have to watch your psychology. I was tired and hungry (‘hangry’, actually) just before getting to Orio when I encountered an endless cobblestone path. Hardly any fun for weary feet. But rather than connecting with those emotions and acknowledging them, what came more easily to me were thoughts focussing on other things that weren’t working in my life.
When you are a silent observer of your thoughts, you can sometimes tell where they come from, but this time I was also conscious of how much energy I was expending with that displaced anger, even though it was happening in my head. And I needed that energy over the remaining 6.5 km.
When the negative mental chatter returned, I silently repeated the mantra that I was on the Camino de Santiago, and that the only thing that mattered was being present to enjoy it. And after a while, the whole episode ended and I could once again just be alive to the experience.
When you’re working towards a project or goal, it pays to be mindful of where your focus and energy are directed. If they’re misplaced, you only need a simple recalibration to get back on track.