Be open to the unexpected avalanches in your life, my friend.
Whether they’re real or symbolic, they have a way of waking us up.
In 2019, while trekking in the Himalayas, I saw an avalanche from afar. It was breathtaking and terrifying at the same time — a rush of snow and ice cascading down the mountain with incredible power.
The funny thing is, just moments before, I had asked our trek guide if he’d ever seen one. And then, almost as if the mountain wanted to answer for him, it appeared with a roar.
Six months later, the whole world was watching another kind of avalanche as COVID changed everything.
That moment on the mountain taught me something important. Watching the avalanche wasn’t the hardest part of the Mount Everest Base Camp trek. It was the breathing — the thin air, the exhaustion, the feeling that I couldn’t take another step.
And yet, somehow, I did.
Emotional Avalanches Are No Different
Long before that trek, I’d already faced my share of emotional avalanches:
Death, divorce, moving, bankruptcy.
Each one felt like a mountain of its own, shifting and shaking beneath my feet.
But just like on that icy trail, there was always a way through once I changed the story I was telling myself.
Like the Little Engine That Could, I learned to whisper, “I think I can. I know I can.”
The 3 Steps That Helped Me Move Through the Avalanche
Whether on the slopes of Everest or in the middle of life’s chaos, these three steps helped me climb forward:
- Train your perseverance muscle.
Keep going, one breath at a time, one step at a time. “I think I can.” - Listen to your body.
Sometimes you need to pause and rest before taking the next step. “I feel I can… just not right now.” - Speak your truth.
Be honest about what you need. Let the people around you know when you’re struggling. “I know I can.”
These same steps that carried me to Mount Everest Base Camp are the ones that carried me through grief, heartbreak, and rebuilding my life.
So, what avalanches are you facing right now?
Remember, you don’t have to face them alone.
There’s always another way around, up, or through your mountain.
And if you’d like someone to walk beside you while you find your footing again, I’m here. 💛