Runners will sometimes ‘hit the wall.’ Often this occurs around the twenty mile mark of a marathon when the muscles run out of energy. The brain says go but the legs say no, forcing a choice between dropping out and trudging on. Dropping out means a Did Not Finish on the official record and on the soul. Trudging on means a slow crawl to the next water stop for rest, rehydration and replenishment before getting back in the race.

Writers can also hit the wall. Often this occurs deep in their novel when the plot runs off-course, goals becomes unclear and the characters fail to come alive. At that point the spirit runs out of inspiration, forcing a choice between quitting and trudging on. Quitting means an unfinished manuscript lurking in a desk drawer and in the soul. Trudging on means stepping back and watching from a distance, giving your plot, goals and characters a chance to redefine and renew.

Refresh, renew and trudge on. Embrace these challenges, for they make boundless the joy of rounding that final turn to see the finish line ahead.