Word 039
In the Asuka region of Nara, there is a small hill called Amazukaoka. It rises to about 150 meters — too modest to be called a mountain, yet high enough to command the whole ancient basin below.
Standing at the top, the Asuka plain opens up before you. The gentle outlines of the three Yamato mountains, the distant ridgeline of Yoshino fading into haze. The things that seemed so troubling at ground level feel strangely small from up here.
When you feel stuck, gently lift your gaze
and take one step back.
You will be able to see the bigger picture objectively,
and the worries that troubled you will look small.
When that happens, the problem will have disappeared before you know it.
Feeling stuck may be a sign that your field of view has grown narrow. When you step back and see the whole picture, the shape of the problem often changes. From a higher vantage point, there were always more paths forward — you were simply too close to see them.