Columbus, Ohio, like most cities I assume, has a hierarchical process for removing snow. Major highways get cleared first, then state routes, then minor thoroughfares, and finally the local neighborhoods.
Now, I bring this up because I’ve had moments where I’m sitting at home, looking out my window, needing to go somewhere, but feeling completely stuck. Outside my window, the snow is piled in my driveway, the streets look untouched, and it feels like the whole world has come to a standstill.
But here’s the interesting thing: just beyond my neighborhood, the roads are cleared. Life is moving on. People are driving to work, grocery stores are open, and traffic is flowing. From where I sit, it looks like everything has stopped, but the truth is, the world is still moving.
And that’s when it hit me, sometimes life feels just like that snow piled on my driveway.
We get stuck in our own “driveways” those small areas of life we can see from our perspective. It might be our circle of friends, our neighborhood, our news feed, or even our comfort zone. And when all we see is snow piled up in front of us, we start to believe that nothing is happening, that progress has stalled, that the whole world is frozen.
But the truth? Just beyond what we see, the road is clear.
This happens when we only listen to one source of information. We get trapped in a single voice, a single perspective, or a single narrative. Maybe it’s what “they” say on social media. Maybe it’s what “they” have decided is true. Maybe it’s just the story we’ve been telling ourselves. And from that narrow vantage point, it looks like the whole world has stopped moving.
But here’s the reality: life is moving on. Opportunities are happening. People are working, learning, growing, connecting. Just because we don’t see it from our window doesn’t mean it isn’t real.
That’s why I say: don’t listen to what “they” say go see.
Take the risk of stepping outside your own snow-covered driveway. Venture beyond your block. Be willing to be uncomfortable for a short while so you can discover the cleared roads where life is happening.
Because if you wait for the city to shovel your block, you may be waiting a long time. If you wait for other people to change your perspective for you, you might be stuck for years. Sometimes the only way forward is to move even when it feels risky, even when you’re nervous, even when the snow is still deep right outside your door.
And here’s the good news: that fear doesn’t last forever. The stretch between your snowy driveway and the clear road may be short, but it requires courage. Once you take that step, you realize the world never stopped it was moving all along.
So, here’s the question for you: Where in your life are you stuck staring out the window, believing the whole world has shut down? And what would happen if you stopped listening to what “they,” say, stopped waiting for permission, and just went to see for yourself?
The snow in front of you might look overwhelming. But just beyond it, the path is already cleared.