Walking the Hakarimata walkway is always a good challenge — steady climbs, beautiful bush, and the kind of quiet that gives your mind room to breathe. But if you’ve ever walked it, you’ll know there’s one small thing that can derail the whole experience: a stone in your shoe.
It’s tiny. Almost nothing.
But once it’s there, you feel it every step.
And as I was walking recently, that little stone made me think about life.
We all get “stones” in our shoes
Not literal ones — but the small frustrations, annoyances, and unresolved issues that show up in everyday life:
A conversation you’re avoiding
A habit you know isn’t helping
A responsibility you keep pushing to “later”
A feeling you haven’t acknowledged
A decision you’ve been putting off
Individually, they’re small.
But left alone, they start to shape how you walk through your day.
We usually respond in one of three ways
As I kept walking, I realised we tend to deal with these “stones” just like we deal with the real ones:
1. We stop and deal with it immediately
We pause, take the shoe off, shake it out, and keep going.
In life, this looks like addressing the issue early — before it grows.
2. We complain but keep walking
We grumble, adjust our foot, and hope it magically disappears.
But it doesn’t.
It just irritates us more.
3. We roll it around and tell ourselves we’ll deal with it later
We convince ourselves we’ll stop “at a better time.”
But that better time rarely comes.
The truth? Small things become big things when ignored
A tiny stone can ruin a good walk.
A tiny frustration can drain a good day.
A tiny unresolved issue can eventually feel like a mountain.
The good news is:
You don’t need to overhaul your life. You just need to stop long enough to deal with the small things.
What’s the stone in your shoe right now?
Maybe it’s something practical.
Maybe it’s something emotional.
Maybe it’s something spiritual.
Whatever it is, you’ll walk lighter once you deal with it.
And sometimes, you don’t need to walk that journey alone.
If you’re feeling stuck, weighed down, or unsure where to start, I’m here to help you find clarity and direction — one step at a time.
