Moving mountains sounds like something reserved for saints and superheroes. In reality, it is the quiet, daily work of ordinary people who decide their circumstances will not have the final say. I learned this the hard way, at the intersection of a cancer diagnosis, a divorce, and a heart condition. Along the way, moving mountains stopped being a metaphor and became a practice I could actually live out.
In this post, I want to unpack the art of moving mountains: what it means, why it feels so heavy, and how you can start today. Because the truth is, you already have more authority over your mountain than you think.
What Moving Mountains Really Means
For years, I believed moving mountains meant grinding harder and proving my worth through what I produced. That belief nearly cost me my health. Real mountain moving, however, is not about brute force. It is about clarity, ownership, and consistent action over time.
Think of it this way. A mountain does not disappear in one heroic push. It moves one honest decision at a time. Consequently, the art is less about strength and more about direction. You do not need to be fearless. You simply need to keep taking the next right step.
Why the Mountain Feels So Heavy
Most mountains feel immovable because we carry them alone and all at once. We imagine the entire climb before we take a single step. As a result, fear convinces us to stay at the base, waiting for a confidence that never quite arrives.
There were seasons I sat at the foot of my own mountain for months. Nevertheless, I discovered that waiting to feel ready is the surest way to never begin. The weight lifts, at least a little, the moment you stop rehearsing the whole journey and focus only on today.
The Practice of Moving Mountains, One Decision at a Time
So how do you actually start moving mountains? Here is the rhythm that changed my life. First, name the mountain honestly. Second, claim ownership of what is yours to move. Third, take one small action before you feel ready.
- Name it clearly, without drama or denial.
- Own only your part, and release the rest.
- Act small, but act today.
- Repeat the decision tomorrow, and the day after.
This is not a shortcut. It is a slow, faithful practice. Yet every mountain I have ever moved shifted because I traded the fantasy of a single dramatic leap for the discipline of steady, repeated choices. If you want more on the mindset behind this, read my thoughts on taking authority over your own life.
Moving Mountains Through Faith and Community
I would be dishonest if I claimed I moved anything alone. Faith gave me a foundation, and community gave me hands to help push. The famous image of faith moving mountains, drawn from Matthew 17:20, never promised the work would be easy. It promised that even a small, honest measure of belief is enough to begin.
So surround yourself with people who believe in your climb. Lean on them on the days your own strength runs thin. In turn, become that steady presence for someone else who is staring up at their own impossible peak.
Your Mountain Is Waiting
If you are standing at the base of something that feels far too big, hear me clearly. You do not need permission to start moving mountains. You need one honest decision, and then another, and then another. That is the whole art of it.
This space, Life’s Intersections, is where I will keep unpacking what moving mountains looks like in real life, through faith, family, health, and reinvention. Thank you for being here. Now, go move your mountain.
