Meditation on...
...the Trolls
I do not have to spend my time convincing you that Norway is a beautiful country. It amazes every visitor. That happened to me as well. If you ever have chance to visit that country, you must check the highway no.63 Andalsnes to Valldal, and then the Geirangersfjord. I consider this as one of the most awesome places where a man can propose to his wife-to-be. But we won’t focus on that today.
The highway above is called “Trollstigen” (meaning Trolls’ Path). It serves as a perfect exam for drivers and their brakes due to its steep incline of 10% and eleven hairpin bends up a steep mountainside. This landscape is breathtaking!
Most likely, this is the only place in the world where you can find a road sign “Be careful! Trolls!”. I guess no one takes these grass-grown man-like creatures seriously, but the word “troll” stirs some negative emotions within us. What am I getting at?
![](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_webp,q_glossy,ret_img,w_768,h_432/https://pdulski.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Znak-uwaga-trolle-1-768x432.jpg)
I’d like us to think about the perspective today. It’s of utmost importance in our life. You may be surprised by the benefits of looking at your life from different angles. It may be easier to draw right conclusions, to plan, and to enjoy the reality. After all, Trollstigen may arouse various feelings in our heart regarding to the position we’re at.
For example, when I sat on the observation deck, it was awe-inspiring, unveiled the mightiness of creation, and filled me with respect. Wow! That’s amazing! What a landscape! — I thought. — But can we drive all the way down?
Greatness and might seemed to overwhelm us. We move forward, we reach the right way. Suddenly, something unusual happens — the perspective changes. Admiration on might and beauty disappears. We’re focused to the limits. Our car with automatic transmission roars trying to adjust the engine rotation to the road conditions, and the driver alertly holds his feet on the brake pedal. I press my foot to the floor too — a passenger with the reaction of a driver. The road is narrow. Sometimes we have to wait for another car to pass. The worst are buses, passing our car by lacquer’s length when the ridge of their wheel is almost off a cliff. On our way we pass the place where water fountains from a rock, creating a waterfall. We can’t see anything, but wipers quickly do their work. Sometimes we notice some rocks falling down, just as if those trolls were deliberately throwing them to get us off track. Finally we can calm down because we crossed that place safely. The perspective changes again. We’re happy; we’ve crossed that demanding stage of our journey; we’re winners!
Why do I write about that? Our life is a journey. The road has different inclines. It goes often round and round, and sometimes we think we can’t handle it. Sometimes we say: “I must stop here; I’m exhausted.” Such feelings are normal. We have the right to feel tired and overwhelmed by the pace and the pressure of this world. But it doesn’t mean we want to give up. The road, even one like Trollstigen, may become really nice, even though it’s full of obstacles and challenges. So what do we need? I guess you already know the answer — the right perspective.
![Fiord w Norwegii](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_webp,q_glossy,ret_img/https://pdulski.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Fiord-w-Norwegii-768x432.jpg)
![Droga Trolla 1-1](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_webp,q_glossy,ret_img/https://pdulski.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Droga-Trolla-1-1-768x432.jpg)
Look at the description above. Maybe you thought: “Why did he recommend a road like that; using it looks like risking your life?” But that’s just my perspective. I could describe Trollstigen in a completely different way: “Going downhill on Trollstigen was awesome, we had to be cautious. It was full of excitement. We saw a beautiful waterfall flowing from a rock, stones falling down, and the driver had to do some crazy maneuvers…” and so on. Do you get it? We can describe one story in different ways: a DRAMA or an ADVENTURE. Our life is a story. You can focus and notice all the difficulties, dangers, and adversities, or you can view it as an adventure as well. Difficulty as a challenge. Danger as a test. Adversity as a hardening. You may ask: “How to do that?” — Just like that. At first, you must realize that YOU are the master of your thoughts, so YOU are in control. You can allow something to bring you down, or you can forbid it, and look at the positive side. Is it easy to control negative thoughts? — Not at all, nothing in life comes easily. But it’s possible. Just begin your training, slowly, starting from little things. Replace every negative thing in a positive one, for example: You got wet? Got cold? — Stop complaining about the rain. Enjoy the opportunity to drink hot lemon tea with honey and ginger, covered with your favorite blanket, sitting on your favorite armchair. Relish the taste, so special during cold days. Cherish the moment when the heatwave embraces your body, and you’re ready to sleep. We can create something terrific out of each moment of our life.
Don’t waste your time on thinking what bad can happen; mostly it just never happens. Be active, stop creating drama, and treat difficulties as an adventure. When you’re sad, sit down on the observation deck, and look at your life from a proper perspective. You’ll likely notice how precious and wonderful it is. And when you’ll discover all its charm, you’ll want to get in on the action again!
PS Huge thanks to my friend, Klaudia, for showing me that wonderful place.
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Comments
Mariusz
Super