Insights
By Dr. Karolina LaBrecque
The Power of Stepping Stones: What Ancient Rome Can Teach Us About Slowing Down, Growing Wisely, and Asking for Support
In ancient Rome, the streets weren’t just built for travel. They were designed for wisdom.
One of the simplest but most profound features was the stepping stones placed across busy roads. They helped people cross without sinking into mud, filth, or chaos. They created safe, intentional, supported progress, one step at a time.
It’s a metaphor we desperately need today.
Because modern society tells us the opposite:
👉 Move fast.
👉 Do it alone.
👉 Take giant leaps.
👉 Achieve everything yesterday.
But here’s the truth you already feel in your nervous system:
Humans were not built for “leap culture.”
We were built for stepping stones.
Let’s explore why this metaphor matters for stress relief, anxiety reduction, burnout prevention, and healthier high performance, the pillars I teach inside Befriending Your Life membership.
The Pressure of “Leap Culture”: Why We’re Exhausted
Today’s world pushes a completely different model:
1. Immediate success
“If you don’t go big, you’re not trying hard enough.”
2. Individual achievement
“If you can’t do it alone, you’re weak.”
3. Massive action only
“If the step isn’t huge, it doesn’t count.”
4. Constant urgency
“Yesterday is already too late.”
This leaves people overwhelmed, dysregulated, and stuck in shame loops, especially high achievers.
Because no matter how powerful you are…no one is designed to leap across an entire road in a single bound.
Burnout isn’t a personal flaw. It’s a natural response to inhuman expectations.
The Truth: Success Happens Through Stepping Stones
The stepping stones metaphor reminds us:
Small steps are the most sustainable steps.
They create safety, clarity, and momentum.
Tools are allowed.
Using systems, techniques, and support isn’t cheating—it’s strategic.
Community makes the journey easier.
Roman citizens walked together. Humans have always been built for collective progress.
Slow is often faster.
Careful crossing beats reckless jumping every time.
This is exactly what the Befriending Your Life framework teaches:
Your nervous system grows when your environment supports it, not when it’s pressured or rushed.
So What Are Modern Stepping Stones?
In your personal life, business, and wellbeing, stepping stones look like:
1. Small, manageable habits
Breathwork for two minutes.
One boundary.
One hour of clarity planning.
2. Tried-and-true tools
Journals.
Time-blocking.
Regulation practices.
BEMER or PEMF for circulation and recovery.
3. Structured pathways
Coaching programs.
Workflows.
Mentorship.
Frameworks like Befriend Your Life.
4. Community & support
You don’t have to cross the road alone.
You weren’t meant to.
5. Micro-decisions over massive leaps
Every step matters because it keeps you moving.
When you stop trying to leap across your life, you start living in your life.
You Don’t Need to Go Faster — You Need Better Stepping Stones
This is the hardest truth for high achievers:
Pushing harder isn’t the path.
Creating structure is.
Every transformation you see in your clients—less anxiety, more confidence, better performance—comes from helping them use stepping stones instead of self-pressure.
Because when the path is clear and supportive, the nervous system can breathe again.
And a regulated nervous system is always more productive than a stressed one.
The Invitation: Build Your Own Roman Road
If you’ve been rushing, pushing, or forcing yourself into giant leaps, consider this your pause point.
Ask yourself:
What stepping stone do I need right now?
What support am I allowed to accept?
Where can I stop leaping and start crossing with ease?
Who is walking with me?
What tools or community would make this calmer and easier?
This is exactly the work we do inside Befriending Your Life Membership.
Regulation → Alignment → Action → Momentum.
You don’t need a new life.
You need a new way to be in it.
One steady step at a time.
The Entrepreneur’s Advantage: Flow in Life & Leadership
Ready to build your stepping stones, your tools, supports, routines, and aligned actions, so life feels grounded again instead of overwhelming?
Learn more at Befriending Your Life Membership