As thick as chowder soup, as smudged as my eyeglasses after neglecting to clean the lenses. The view from the jet plane’s window while flying through a blanket of clouds, descending to a safe landing or climbing to altitude. The range of vision to discern what lay ahead was that clear. Quite unclear, indeed.

This lack of clarity is not for lack of putting in the effort to simplify, calm and doing the work of knowing thyself. Nope. This foggy middle is part of the journey of growth, evolution, and a building of self-trust after having taken risks, chosen to step forward, to invest, to do the work, all without guarantee.

The foggy middle doesn’t arrive; we step into it because we have acted on the clarity we have discovered by doing the work of getting to know our true self. Fog, specifically radiation fog, is a result of humid air (100% relative humidity) that is momentarily trapped as the earth’s surface cools, typically at night, which is why we often wake up to fog following a clear evening. But as soon as the sun rises, the warmth of the day begins to evaporate the fog layer.

Fog can only form if calm skies were present to begin with, and if heat from the earth is then emitted, which then must meet moisture in some form given by Mother Nature to finally be able to create fog. A temporary weather pattern that requires various, yet specific, other ingredients in order to form.

Through this analogy, our mind that has established clarity about our true self, our strengths, our curiosity, what we want to heal, what we need to learn to gain necessary skills is the clear, calm sky. The energy welling up within us to be courageous to begin to do things differently, no matter how small or singular, yet still, we begin to change, is the heat emitted from the earth. Our actions of change – habits, routines, mindset – then become how we engage with the world, and we gain knowledge from experts in their fields by reading books, taking classes, and working with mentors. These inputs of new information play the role of Mother Nature’s rain, snow, any precipitation that eventually causes the momentary fog to form.

Because we have bravely chosen to apply the new knowledge we have learned to begin to change how we do something, we step into a new chapter that we have never lived before; we have never known personally. Either all of a sudden or gradually, we find ourselves in the foggy middle.

The uncertainty is unsettling, even scary. So much may feel new or different, and our confidence is rattled. We may even begin to doubt having chosen to make the changes we have made. After all, at least we know what our life would be if we remained as it was, as we were, even if it wasn’t fulfilling. Even if it was slowly breaking our hearts.

The foggy middle doesn’t happen to dissuade us. It is simply a natural part of our journey forward toward realizing the benefit of growing as only we are capable. It means we are growing. It means we are traveling, even if, in this moment, we feel stuck, lost, and wondering who to trust.

In my new book, Savoring the Sojourn: Contentment through the Seasons as You Unearth Your Masterpiece, the four-part cycle of creating something new that comes innately from ourselves is also a cycle of self-growth. And as the journey begins in Autumn, part of the Winter sojourn involves this foggy middle. A period that all but forces us to be, just be still. It doesn’t mean we are not making progress. This is part of how progress happens – slowing down so we have time to assess and readjust, while also reaffirming where we are going and why. The fog arrives not because we are lost but because we are making progress. We are learning something new, growing in our own unique way, and we have bravely dared to do something, go somewhere, we have never been before.

In all the places – cities, small towns, and countrysides – that I have lived or spent time, the places that have fog from time to time are places that are verdant, lush with green foliage. In other words, places of natural beauty full of flora capable of growing without much effort by humans, only asking for intention to put plants or seeds in the ground. Fog requires precipitation and warmth from the sun. When both are present as the seasons unfold, they provide the ingredients for natural beauty to flourish.

Bend, Oregon, admittedly, is not such a place where fog occurs. We have to work for anything lush and green. I often tell folks that I chose the side of town I live because it is the sunnyside of town (and it’s true – we can often be up to 10 degrees warmer on any given day of the year). The reason I prefer this side is so that I can grow a garden and have a longer growing period before the first frost. Add the rain shadow effect of the Cascade Mountains that gives us our moisture in the form of abundant snow in the winter and, more than occasionally, rain in the shoulder seasons, and while we don’t have much fog, we have enough moisture so that, with intention and clarity, a garden can be grown with great success.

But back to the fog. It is rich with good news when we realize why it has arrived in our life. Rather than curse it, choose to understand why it arrived. Similar to brain fog at any time of our life, but for many in their mid-perimenopausal years – simply to be able to know we are experiencing brain fog is a sign of self-awareness, self-knowledge. Then, we can seek out remedies. And aren’t we fortunate to be alive and healthy enough to know we have resources, to have reached a point in our life, alive and thriving (even if at that moment, we doubt this latter descriptor), where we can navigate the fog? Because we can and we will.

The fog is not forever. It appears because we are alive, have chosen to live, not just exist, and are making progress. Don’t let it convince you that it is a solid mass that will not move. We know this to be false. We know it is formless, even if it appears solid in its opacity. Yes, it is asking us to slow down, to ‘drive’ more safely, and to heed this guidance is wise. But keep stepping forward even if the steps are shorter, different than your typical stride. Most importantly, do not turn around. Your ability to stride with confidence will return, and in fact, will deepen in its peace of mind. Give it time.

Recall the moment of driving a vehicle through fog. You have slowed your speed, your lights are on, you are more attentive perhaps than when the skies are clear. All of a sudden, the fog seems to evaporate. The edge of the fog’s presence appears so abruptly that we are immediately thrust into bright light. A brilliant clarity, and in that moment, we realize that even while going more slowly than we may have preferred, we were making progress, and we were on the path leading us to our intended destination.

The fog you are experiencing or will experience is not the ominous sign it would lead you to believe. Let’s circle back to the three moments of confusion that began the post: the chowder may be thick, but that is what makes it delicious to satiate our hunger. Our glasses may be smudged, but we have the tool to see clearly; we now just need to sharpen our ‘tool’ by cleaning them. And we may be temporarily surrounded by thick clouds while on our flight, but we know exactly where we are headed and have professional pilots, experts who will help us arrive at our desired destination safely. So, in fact, the ‘foggy middle’ is a sign that you are headed in the right direction and have acquired the necessary tools to arrive precisely where you have been working so diligently to reach.

Have a most wonderful start to the new week, and thank you for stopping by TSLL.

~Top Photo: Overlooking Lake Grasmere in the Lake District.

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~Learn more about TSLL’s Contentment Masterclass: View the detailed syllabus, watch the trailer, read reviews.