Why the Middle of the Journey Feels So Hard—And Why It Matters Most
A Mental and Physical Health Reflection
Maybe you’re in the middle of something right now—a health goal, a spiritual stretch, or a season where nothing feels certain. You're showing up, trying, growing... but it's not linear, and it’s definitely not easy.
We all have our shortcomings—but we also carry a tremendous amount of value that we bring into this world. That value doesn’t always look the same for each person. It might shout boldly for one person and stay hidden behind the scenes for another. Sometimes, it looks like a win. Sometimes, it looks like just surviving the day.
Lately, I’ve been sitting with this truth: our value doesn’t disappear when we feel overwhelmed, unsure, or behind.
When the Brain Becomes a Freeway
If you’ve read the last ten months of reflections in this health series, you’ve probably noticed that I’ve been working on quite a bit—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. And it’s true. There’s a lot I’m learning, letting go of, and trying to rebuild. Some of it brings hope. Some of it is exhausting. And if I’m honest, I’m not sure which emotion I feel more often—excitement, fear, or plain old tiredness.
My husband once said:
“My brain is like a two-lane road, but Holly’s brain? It’s a freeway—multiple lanes running at once.”
He couldn’t have described it more accurately.
That freeway feeling—that constant movement and noise—can be both a gift and a challenge. It allows me to imagine, dream, and explore... but it also means I don’t always know how to slow down or where to focus first. And that can be mentally draining.
I shared more about this tension in [Giving Grace & Letting Go of Perfection], where I realized that constant movement often comes from trying to measure up rather than listening to what my body and heart actually need.
Doing a Lot and Still Feeling Behind
Even when I’m making progress in one area, I feel like I’m falling short in another. That quiet fear creeps in—
Will I actually finish what I’ve started?
Will I keep momentum?
Am I enough, even when I don’t do it all?
It’s strange to hold deep faith in one hand, and fear in the other. But that’s where I am right now.
And maybe that’s where you are too. Juggling responsibilities, trying to improve your health (like in [Sustainable Weight Loss]), grow your faith (like in [Eyes on the Lord – Topic 1]), show up for others—and wondering if any of it is actually working.
Faith in the Middle of the Fog
Here’s the truth I’m clinging to: Nobody has it all together. Maybe for a day or two, it feels like it. But life is constantly shifting. We grow, we pause, we fall, we start again.
I know this journey ahead will stretch me. I’ll need strength I don’t always feel. I’ll need guidance that doesn’t always come in the timing I want. But I also know—deep down—that I’m not doing this alone.
So I’ll keep saying the prayers.
For perseverance.
For clarity.
For the ability to slow down when needed, and keep going when I can.
What Helps Me When the Middle Feels Heavy
This middle season is hard. But here are a few things that help me when I feel stuck in it:
- Saying breath prayers when I feel overwhelmed: “God, give me strength.”
- Letting go of one task I thought had to get done
- Walking outside to clear my head (even for five minutes)
- Telling someone I trust that I’m feeling discouraged
- Reminding myself that progress doesn’t need to be perfect to be valuable
They’re small things. But they ground me when my freeway brain gets too loud.
If You’re in the Middle Too
If you're reading this and feeling like your brain is a freeway... if you're holding big dreams and big fears at the same time... you’re not alone.
You don’t have to be perfect to have value. You don’t have to finish everything to be doing something important. And even if your steps feel small right now—they still count.
This is the middle. And the middle matters more than we think.
Reflection Prompt for You
What’s one area of your life where you feel like you’re not measuring up—but maybe you’re growing more than you realize?
