The Light In The Middle Of The Tunnel

Recently, on Priya Parker’s wonderful new podcast about creating meaningful online gatherings, she referred to “the light at the middle of the tunnel.”

When we’re in struggle, it’s tempting to obsess about when it will end. We want that little pin-prick of light at the end of the tunnel to show up and keep growing, with the promise that suddenly there will be a point when we’ve escaped the tunnel. We focus on that far off, definitive moment of “arrival.”

The fact is, whether in a pandemic or not, there’s rarely a clear moment when we’ve arrived. Even when this strange time is over, there will be new challenges to face, new hurdles to overcome.

When you’re driving through a tunnel, and it’s turning out to be a long one, you flip on your headlights. So let’s focus on bringing some light into the middle of the tunnel. We may be here for a while; what illumination can you bring in? Can you focus on a mindset of gratitude? Deepen your knowledge? Improve—or rekindle—connections? Pursue new skillsets that are fun and gratifying? Or…catch up on some rest?

Keep moving forward, but be here now, too. It’ll help you get to the other side (and then the next other side, then the next other side)…