So last week I was on vacation in St. Lucia at a Sandals resort with my beloved partner Rebecca and 20 of her cousins.
If that sounds like a recipe for loads of fun and even more loads of shenanigans, you are right on both counts.
In addition to the swim-up bar, snorkeling, speed boating to a drive-in volcano mud bath and waterfall, impromptu lobby karaoke, and non-stop plates of jerk chicken, a gaggle of us summited the peak of Signal Hill on Pigeon Island.
You say you want photographic evidence? Oh we got that.
Along the way we passed an old English fort. They had cannons. I’m a Cannon.
Alas, we had to leave St. Lucia and the best swim-up bar bartender in the world, Peter. He and his “Peter’s Specials” (his special changed with every order, you didn’t ask what was in ‘em, and they were all deeeeelicious) will never be forgotten. Unless you have too many of them…
I returned home to an avalanche of emails, texts, voicemails, and podcast interviews. Another mountain to summit. Whoever was in charge of my schedule this week needs a swift kick in the you-know-what.
So it was fortuitous that I came across this quote by the brilliant Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa.
“When you go mountain climbing, the first thing you’re told is not to look at the peak but to keep your eyes on the ground as you climb. You just keep climbing patiently one step at a time. If you keep looking at the top, you’ll get frustrated. I think writing is similar. You need to get used to the task of writing. You must make an effort to learn to regard it not as something painful but as routine. But most people tend to give up halfway.”
—Akira Kurosawa
He’s talking about writing, but of course you can apply the metaphor to anything in your life that’s a heavy lift. One step at a time to the peak. One email at a time to a clean inbox. One piece of jerk chicken at a time to being banned from the restaurant.
One day or task at a time in any large or meaningful project, at home or work. There’s frankly no other way to the summit than step by step by step.
Speaking of large, meaningful projects…
The Page and Stage Podcast Trailer is here!
Click the purple button below to visit the Page and Stage Podcast page.
I want to hear the Page and Stage Podcast trailer!
You can listen to the trailer (and all future episodes) right there on that page, or snag the RSS link for yourself.
You can also listen pretty much anywhere you get your podcasts: Apple, Spotify, Google, YouTube, Stitcher, Sirius, Deezer, Pandora. Go wild!
Episodes 1 and 2, featuring Will Luera and Maria Schaedler-Luera, will drop next week on Thursday, March 21. Then each Thursday after, another episode will come your way!
Coming next Thursday!
Also coming next Thursday!
Keep climbing, and I’ll see you on your peaks. The view from the summit will be worth it.
Jason “Just One More Peter Special” Cannon