A good friend of mine, Mark LeBlanc, is preparing for his fourth Camino de Santiago—a 500-mile pilgrimage from France to Santiago, Spain. It takes about 31 days of walking, day after day, rain or shine, with only your resolve and your backpack to carry you forward.
We were talking about the journey recently, because my niece is about to walk the same path this August. I asked Mark for advice. What he gave me was a gift—not just for her, but for all of us. It was one word: resolve.
Let me tell you why that word matters. Blisters, Pain, and a Choice.
On Mark’s third Camino, something happened just four days in: he woke up with painful blisters on his left foot. And those blisters never healed. Not for one single day of the remaining 500 miles.
Can you imagine walking in excruciating pain for 27 more days? So, I asked him the obvious question: “Mark, why didn’t you quit?” He said, “Because quitting never even entered my consciousness.” That’s resolve.
He didn’t wait to feel better. He didn’t wait to be pain-free. He didn’t wait for ideal conditions. He just kept going step after blistered step. When You Don’t Feel Like It That, right there, is the Front-Row Friday message:
Resolve to do it anyway—even when you don’t feel like it. You may not be walking across Spain, but maybe there’s something else in front of you:
• A crucial conversation you’ve been avoiding.
• A difficult phone call you need to make.
• A paper or project or proposal you need to finish.
• A book you’ve been meaning to write (yes, that one).
We all have “those things”—the ones that lead to growth, success, and fulfillment—but only if we follow through. And too often, we wait for the perfect conditions, the right mindset, or that magic moment when we finally feel motivated.
Here’s the truth:
- You don’t have to feel like it.
- You just have to do it anyway.
- The Euphoria of Finishing
When Mark finished that third Camino—after 500 painful, determined miles—I can only imagine how he felt and it must have been euphoric.
Euphoria doesn’t come from things being easy. It comes from doing the hard thing anyway.
So whatever you’re facing today, take that first step. Then the next one. And the one after that.
Not because it’s easy. Not because you feel like it. But because you resolved to do it. Here’s to finishing strong—one step at a time.
Happy Front-Row Friday,
Your Head Usher,
Marilyn
