Just Take The Next Step - April 23

When life feels overwhelming, there is wisdom in simplicity — just take the next step. In today's 5 Minutes In Nature, Liz finds herself navigating a challenging hike and discovers that no matter how tough the terrain or how long the trail ahead, all that is ever required is one more step. A gentle reminder that the same is true in life.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to five minutes in nature with me Liz Scott and we've made it on day eight to a place called Torcross and I'm sitting on a wall right beside the ocean and you might be able to hear it lapping in onto the beach beside me and it's really deceptive actually because a few months ago the storms here completely damaged a road that leads between a freshwater lake and the sea so much so that the road has been closed and where I'm sitting right now it's just a mass of rocks and rubble and big trucks and diggers that are poised to I don't know they're not going to make good the road it's just too expensive to repair and as we were walking along many of the seaside properties that look out onto the sea are boarded up they took a battering with the rocks and stones and the wind that smashed against them during the storm so it's it's really hard to imagine when you see the sea like this so benign and calm and beautiful that it has that potential to turn and today's reflection is very much about taking one step at a time we had quite a long walk today if you remember my sister my friend and I were walking a hundred mile trail around the area of the South Hams and the South Hams is a part of Devon the county that I live in and we've explored some of the moorland and the rivers and over the last few days we've been walking along the coast path along the coastline it was a long walk today and we've all in our different ways found it challenging my friend has got challenges with her feet my sister I know just finds walking a little bit challenging she does it but she's quite slow I'm finding it challenging sometimes the pace because sometimes I want to go a bit faster sometimes I want to go slower it's not that the pace is the wrong pace it's just that I'm used to walking on my own when I can stop and start and eat when I want to and carry on when I want to and accelerate when I want to and so for me it's a challenge it's not it's not a horrible challenge it's just different from what I'm used to and have been used to with the recent walks I've been on and this was a long walk from East Portlemouth it was 13 miles it was one of the longer walks we've done and we were quite tired by this point when we started out and it was a challenging walk the coastal path is often rocky and you're clambering using your hands to clamber over rocks and sometimes the drop down to the sea is right beside the path and it can be quite alarming particularly when it's gusty winds and I kept saying to myself just take one step at a time just take one step at a time and I love that I love that philosophy it's it's my philosophy in life really when it comes to the hare and the tortoise I don't know if you've heard of Aesop's fable the hare and the tortoise where they have a race and the hare takes takes off really fast it can run so fast and because it's running so fast and it's so far ahead of the tortoise it it goes to sleep and the tortoise just keeps on plodding and overtakes the hare and goes on to win the race and I am like the tortoise I'm not fast but I can plod and I have that philosophy in life as well there's nothing wrong with plodding that's what I say to myself and this walk was just a reminder of that so today for you it's to remind yourself of the power of just taking the next step when we're going through challenging times in life it can be really hard sometimes to even know what the end point is or the end point might look a long way away and when you focus on the end point and only the end point it can feel alarming and your mind can fill up with stories if however all you do is know you need to take the next step then it becomes so much more manageable so today is just a reminder to take the next step whatever challenges you're going through in life all you need to do is take the next step and sometimes that next step might just be getting out of bed it might be making breakfast it might be getting your children to school it might be getting yourself to work it might be a very small step but that's all you need to do is take the next step let me know your reflections on today's insight timer and don't forget I'll be back tomorrow with another insight timer and I'll be continuing my walk it's a 10-day walk around the Southams and I'll be starting here in Torcross and heading towards Dartmouth so do join me again tomorrow

Reviews

I’m inspired by your trek Liz. I have a friend in England who does the Camino every year. I think there is something very special about taking on challenges that aren’t in your comfort zone, and yes, the positive self-talk and coaching can get us through, one small step at a time.

I’m just getting ready for my trip to Italy and then on to England so feeling a little anxious so this reflection was perfect 🤩
Thank you 🙏💗

I’ve had days where even one step felt like too much in my head, so I’ve said to myself “just move a little toe, that’s all you have to do”. It helped and that little toe led to a tiny step🦶

I really need to hear this today. Thanks Liz. 🚶‍♀️💜

Taking one step at a time. You got me thinking about when I used to do Ironman triathlon events. 140.6 miles.

During the race if I ever started thinking how far I had yet to go things got tough. When I'd catch myself and get back to now and realize just keep moving it brought it all back to perspective.

Not that it was any easier it felt more like I was where I was supposed to be and to feel that and not a distant place.

You must be near the end of your walk soon. Hope your trio has something nice planned at the end. ✌️❤️😌