Navigating Life is Like Walking on Swiss Cheese

I just listened to a mindfulness course on my Insight Timer app where the instructor, Dr Charles Freligh, talked about how navigating life is like walking on a piece of Swiss cheese. He proposed that most of us go through life trying to stay on the surface, fearing and avoiding the holes. And it got me thinking.

The surface is the safe and predictable place. The holes are unknown and unpredictable. We can somewhat control things on the surface, and we can stay there a long time, some of us forever, just avoiding going into the holes. The problem is that true joy, true experience, true living, those are found within the holes.

Just like a piece of Swiss cheese, the holes are all different. Some are bigger, some smaller, some more shallow, and some deeper. Some we may sink into and get stuck in for a while. Some may feel like we are more buoyant and able to navigate closer to the surface. The thing is, we never know what the hole will be like until we allow ourselves to stop maneuvering around it.

What I’ve learned from my own journey and those of my clients is that even when we enter the deepest of holes, we can learn to navigate them and float ourselves back to the surface. When we are in a hole, if we dig in and experience what’s there, learn the lessons and skills it holds, and connect not only with ourselves but with all the other amazing people there, we will move beyond it. And we will have truly experienced not only challenge and hardship, but true joy and connection.

Some holes will be easier for us to enter, some will be far harder. I’m definitely not advising that you go jumping into the closest, deepest hole, but you could find a place to start. To begin think of a hole that may be a bit unknown or uncomfortable, a bit of a stretch, but not one that is overwhelming for you, and see what it’s like to explore it.

What you gain in dealing with your holes will grow you and allow you to experience freedom and the true joy in life. And each hole you encounter will leave you stronger and more capable to take on the next, until one day you are able to navigate what comes your way and the holes aren’t so scary.