The Internal Verandah Reflection
I’m sitting on my verandah this beautiful Monday, surrounded by the rhythm of the water and the noisy, reflective chorus of the morning birds. It’s a space where I do my deepest thinking, and today, my mind is on a story I saw from Steven Bartlett about an ant, a spider, and an ink-drawn circle.
It’s a story about artificial blocks.
The Illusion of the Ink Circle
In the demonstration, an ant is placed inside a circle drawn with a ballpoint pen. To the ant, that thin line of ink is a solid wall. It paces the perimeter, trapped not by a physical barrier, but by the belief that the line is impassable.
Then, there is the spider. When a tiny gap is left in that same ink circle, the spider finds the opening and escapes. Once it steps over that line and realizes the "wall" has no substance, it is changed. It knows the truth: the ink wasn't real.
The 21km Revelation
We often do this to ourselves in our careers and our personal lives. We stop at the "10km marker" because that’s what the display shows us. We respect the lines of titles, ages, and expectations drawn by others—and sometimes, the lines we’ve drawn for ourselves.
But our capacity is almost always greater than the markers we’ve been given. When we stop looking at the display and start running based on our true potential, we find we have a 21k season in us.
The Courage to Step Over the Block (or Go Beyond the Ink-Drawn Circle)
This has been the heartbeat of my journey with AUBRIEA. For over 20 years in corporate management, I respected the lines. but now, a few months away from 62, I believe I have finally stepped through the opening of that made up block. Actually, when I turned 60 back in 2024, for the first time in a long while, I felt free, like I was finally being ME.
Publishing my debut novel, Webs, Love & Fireworks, wasn’t just a career move; it was a "spider moment." It was the act of stepping over the ink and realizing that the blocks of age or industry standards only have as much power as we give them.
| "The proof is in the pivot. At 61, I didn’t just step over the line; I started a new chapter entirely." |
Reflection from the Verandah
Are you pacing a circle today, or are you looking for the opening?
Whether it's a block imposed by the world or one created from your own fears, I invite you to look closer. The wall might just be ink.
Are you stepping outside of your blockage today? Hit reply and let me know—I’d love to hear what lines you’re ready to walk past.
With love and light,
Marcia 🧡 Founder of AUBRIEA & Author of Webs, Love & Fireworks
From My Verandah to Yours:
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Read the Novel: Webs, Love & Fireworks by Marcia Melody
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Set the Mood: The AUBRIEA Candle Collection
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Join the Conversation: Subscribe to The Internal Verandah on Substack