Hold on to the view from the mountaintop.

Are you at your peak, or are you in a valley right now?

Language journeys, making progress toward a goal, even life itself - they're all filled with peaks and valleys. There are moments when we arrive at the top and we can see clearly the progress we've made, and the next mountaintop before us. Then there are times when we're trudging through the valley or in a steady uphill climb, and we can't see past all the trees around us; we just trust that the path we're on will lead us to where we want to go.

Going through a valley doesn't mean you're not on the right path: valleys are what connect us to the next mountaintop. There's no avoiding them if you want to keep moving forward.

So here's what you need to keep mind as you move along any journey:

>> We all go through valleys. We just tend to shout it (and post the pictures) from the mountaintop.

>> The valley has its own beauty, too - you don't have to wait til you get to the top to enjoy what's around you. You're going to spend more time off the mountaintop than you will on it, so learning to enjoy it ALL - and slow down, if necessary, to do so - will serve you well.

>> Hold on to the view from the mountaintop as you keep going. What does this look like? Remind yourself that what you're going through now is working for you, and that the view from the top is so worth it. When you get to the top, you'll see even higher peaks further on that you have yet to reach. You will set new goals. There are more valleys to cross in order to get to them. When you don't have the same clarity, or clear view, that you did from the mountaintop, keep moving forward on faith with the vision in your heart.

What if you're in the valley...but you're not sure that the path you're on is leading you where you want to go? What about when your approach doesn't feel like it's working?

When you're not sure which path to take, you need to get yourself a guide.

If you're in a valley, but you feel like you're just wandering in circles and not making any progress toward the next mountaintop, you need to get yourself a good guide.

A guide is someone who not only knows which way to go by their own experience, but can show you the best route to get there. (Remember our conversation last week?)

Guides can be found in many places, depending on the nature of your valley. A coach, a book, a therapist, a pastor, a map, a counselor - whichever way the information presents itself, it should come from an expert you trust.

One of my language students confessed to me just last week that she didn't feel that the process was working - she couldn't tell that she was making any progress.

It's okay, I told her. It's totally normal not to be able to see it right now. I promise you, I said. I promise you, I can see it.

You are going to get the view from the mountaintop. And it is going to be so worth it.

She's not alone - many of my students have honestly expressed this to me before. Guess what? They've all had mountaintop moments since then, and are wayyy further along the path to fluency now. They move through each valley more leisurely, more confidently, because they trust me as their guide - and because they remember the view from the mountaintop.

Make sure you have a guide you trust, and keep going, mi amigo.

Your life & language coach,

Are you looking for a guide in your life or language journey? Reach out to me for a 1:1 conversation to see if my coaching aligns with your journey.

Are you ready to get the view from the mountaintop? Let’s move through the valley together in my latest episode of #SpanishSaturday.

Click below to watch and listen.