A Journey of Language, Growth, and Autism Perspectives: Stephen’s Evolution

Winter Struggles and Spring Breakthroughs

• Stephen McHugh • Episode 48

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Life, much like the seasons, has its challenges and breakthroughs. In this episode, I reflect on recent testing parkruns, and connect them to my journey of growth, both in running and in life. I explore how my experiences with language development, creativity, and resilience as an autistic person have shaped my progress.

This is a recent new direction for my podcast, connecting my experiences with words and phrases. Along the way, I share how words and metaphors bring meaning to personal challenges and experiences, turning struggles into stories of growth. 

A quick note: This episode touches on resilience and overcoming difficulties. If any topic feels personal or challenging, please take care while listening. My aim is to share my journey in a way that encourages reflection and hope.

Before wrapping up, I offer some final thoughts on embracing progress at your own pace, seeking support if and when needed, and remembering that setbacks don’t define us, how we move forward does.

Listen now and reflect on your own moments of progress, even in challenging seasons.

Send me your comments and questions


Thanks for listening. You can find me on my website stephensevolution.com, or on twitter here. You can sign up to receive news of new episodes when they're released here.


Artwork produced by Elena Designe
Music composed by Nela Ruiz

Stephen McHugh:

Hi there and welcome back to another episode of the Stephen's Evolution podcast. I'm Stephen McHugh, your host, and, in this podcast, I create episodes that explore the connection between my personal experiences on the autism spectrum, and the words and phrases that can inspire us in new and meaningful ways. For this episode, what I'm going to do is talk about a metaphor that's been on my mind lately. It is to do with 'The cold testing days of winter, and any sunny moments that may break through', which can remind us that warmth and growth are always on the way. I'll be linking this episode to recent testing park runs, which have got me reflecting about the progress I've made in other areas of my life, like my education, my blog, this podcast, and my creativity as a whole. The way I look at it is, it's been a journey of challenges, breakthroughs and growth, and I'm looking forward to sharing it with you.

Stephen McHugh:

But before we get stuck in, what I want to do is mention that in this episode, I'll be reflecting on challenges and how I've built resistance over time. I understand that all your experiences are different and unique, and if any of the topics feel personal or difficult, please feel free to take care while listening. My aim here is to share my experiences and journey in a way that encourages growth and self-reflection.

Stephen McHugh:

For this year, 2025, I've set myself the goal of consistently finishing my weekly 5k park runs in under 23 minutes. In addition, I've got an ultimate aim of breaking the 22-minute barrier later this year. . However, this winter season has added its own set of unique challenges. Course conditions have been tough at times. These include boggy and waterlogged areas, muddy sections, combined with the cold weather, all of which has made it difficult to get close to these aims that I've got. Consequently, what I've had to do is settle for finishes over 25 minutes, which, honestly, can feel frustrating, especially when you may be aiming higher.

Stephen McHugh:

On thinking about these testing conditions I've encountered, I'm reminded of some of the challenges I faced in other areas of my life, like my journey through education, particularly when it came to delays related to my language development. Here, it would take me longer than others, overall, to fully comprehend and apply new knowledge or grasp new concepts. At times, I'd also struggle to form new friendships and interact with others. I'd often take more literal views of language and, at the same time, find it more difficult to see things from other people's perspectives. Similarly, even with both my blog and podcast, there's always the challenge of trying to grow my audience. The way I look at it is, it's not always easy to see modest analytics and still push forward, seeking more readers and listeners, while trying to stay creative and motivated.

Stephen McHugh:

Like the heavy grounds of a winter park run, such challenges have tested my persistence. However, I've learned on the course and in life that progress is not always about how fast you make progress. It's more about pushing through one step at a time, no matter whatever conditions or situations you may find yourself in.

Stephen McHugh:

Despite the cold and tough conditions that I faced in recent park runs, I could see now, when I think about it, how easy it would be to stop. Running through the boggy ground and muddy areas, and sometimes even waterlogged areas would leave me feeling rather tired. It was early on in the park runs that I could feel the energy being sapped out of me, step by step. However, I kept going. Somehow as the run progressed, I found the determination to just keep going, pushing through, and eventually, by the time I neared the end, I would always manage to summon the energy to finish strongly. Looking back afterwards, what I realise is running in such challenging conditions might actually be beneficial to me in the long term. That will make things easier when, hopefully, better weather and improved course conditions arrive when the spring and summer come along. After all, I'd already restarted running after years away from it, building up my fitness at the same time, and recovering from a two-month break due to an injury.

Stephen McHugh:

Even with such difficulties, the way I think about it, each run has been a step forward. Whenever I take time to reflect on this, I think about the milestones I've reached in other areas of my life, like in my education, for instance. I would start seeing improvements in my language skills as time went on. My improved grades would reflect my growing understanding and ability to apply knowledge, and I would be writing more essays, with much more in terms of cohesion and clarity. Socially, I would make progress too. Outings with local friends, as I saw them, became opportunities to learn how to join in conversations more naturally, and figure out when ever any input I had for a particular conversation was relevant to it, along with learning how to engage better.

Stephen McHugh:

Even with my creative projects, there have been signs of progress. These include times when a particular blog post became popular, or when my podcast has seen spikes in episode downloads. Such moments like these felt like the sunny breaks during a tough winter run, the little glimpses of progress that remind me to keep going, even when challenges may feel overwhelming at times. To me, they're the proof that the effort is well worth it, and that growth is happening, especially with persistence, even if it's not always immediately obvious. Recently, when I made small changes to the homepage of my website, changing the text on it to say that I tell my autistic experiences, and link them through phrases and words may niche it down somewhat. I did this at the start of January this year, and since then I've noticed more occasions when I've had more visitors visiting more than once a day.

Stephen McHugh:

One moment stands out for me when I think about growth and renewal. It reminds me of 2K runs that we did back at high school, sometimes during PE lessons, or physical education as it's better known. On one occasion I would improve my time by nearly three minutes. To me, this felt like a huge achievement. What I had to do was redo the run at lunchtime the next day. When the next day came along at lunchtime with only a handful of other students, because I hadn't initially measured up to the expectations in the PE lesson, when I did it in like nearly 12 minutes. I ended up doing it in just over 9 minutes.

Stephen McHugh:

At the time when I was told, with some others, to come back the next day at lunchtime, it kind of felt disheartening in some ways. However, looking back, what I realised is, that setback planted a seed for a lifetime of self-improvement in me. Instead of letting it get me down, I decided that I had to rise to the challenge. I refused to give in. What it taught me was that even when the objective may seem out of your reach, you are more capable than you think. That's what I thought about myself then. That experience also gave me a newfound determination to keep going, even when I would face criticism for not being naturally good enough, be it at any sporting activities or other areas of my life.

Stephen McHugh:

I remember going through my school reports, and seeing one of my physical education reports. On one particular occasion, it's stated 'to his credit he always tries', 'his' and 'he' being me, and that simple statement has stuck with me ever since. It's a reminder of the mental resilience that I've built over the years since the ability to keep pushing forward, maintain a growth mindset, and focus on what feels more natural and meaningful to me, rather than letting others define my worth. This lesson for me carries through to running. Even today, I have learned not to compare myself to others, and to go at a pace that feels right and more natural for me.

Stephen McHugh:

But my growth didn't stop there. As my language skills improved, what I have found is a new way to channel my creativity, by telling stories of my personal journey, and using the stories to inspire hope in others who may be on similar paths. What I've been able to do is, connect my experiences to words and phrases in ways that, to me, feel meaningful and reflective. Beyond that, my improved ability with language itself has enabled me to see how fascinating it actually is. It's an incredible tool that's allowing me to explore new ways of thinking and expressing myself. What my progress with it has allowed me to do is embrace my creative side, and to share my journey, not only through writing, but also through this podcast.

Stephen McHugh:

These experiences, are reminders for me that, even when times are challenging, or when challenges may seem insurmountable, they often lead to growth and renewal, helping me to uncover strengths that I didn't realise I had. And the same can apply to you as well.

Stephen McHugh:

And now I'd like to turn this over to you, my listeners.

Stephen McHugh:

When have you noticed hope and progress, even during any testing times you may have faced, like the challenges we may face in the wintertime, both literally and metaphorically?

Stephen McHugh:

Have there been moments, like glimpses of sunny weather or longer days that have reminded you that growth is possible? And even on the way that growth is possible?

Stephen McHugh:

And even on the way? Think about the parallels you might be able to draw from your own hobbies, interests or even creative works. Are there any lessons or strengths you may have gained life, in one area of your life that you have been able

Stephen McHugh:

to carry over to another? I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts and reflections. I'm always on the lookout for any comments and questions. You can share your questions and comments with me by texting the podcast via the link in the episode description. Your stories and perspectives may even inspire others who might be going through their own challenging seasons, or they may

Stephen McHugh:

even

Stephen McHugh:

give me ideas for future episodes

Stephen McHugh:

.

Stephen McHugh:

The way I look at the phrase challenging seasons, we all go through these at various times in our lives. They are times that contest us, much like the cold conditions of winter. However, like the seasons change, our circumstances do so as well, and with it, progress can always be possible. And now, as we come to the end of this episode, what I want to do is return to the metaphor that's guided us in this episode the cold days of winter and the sunny moments that break through, reminding us that warmth and growth are always on the way. Through the challenges of my park run, my journey with language development and my creative projects, I've been able to see how persistence and small glimpses of progress can build towards something meaningful, whether it's finishing strong on a tough course, improving my understanding and communication skills, or trying to connect with others via my blog and podcast. Each step forward, the way I see them, is a reminder that growth is always possible, even during testing and uncertain times. I hope this episode has left you with an optimistic outlook, wherever you may be in your own journey. Remember, the sunny moments are there, even in the middle of winter, to remind you to keep on going and not lose hope.

Stephen McHugh:

What I know is challenges can look different for each and every one of us, and resilience isn't about pushing through at all costs. For me, it can be all about adapting, learning and moving forward in our own unique ways. If you're finding things particularly difficult, don't hesitate to reach out for support, be it from family, friends, relatives or a community. You're not alone in your own journey, and remember setbacks don't define us. The way I look at them is how we respond to them that shapes our growth.

Stephen McHugh:

Just like the winter days eventually give way to sunshine and warmth, difficult moments can lead to new strengths and opportunities. Just keep going at a pace that feels more natural to you, and trust that progress is always occurring, even if you don't notice it straight away. Before you go, don't forget that you can sign up to stay in the loop about newly released episodes and other podcast related updates. You can find this link stay in the loop towards the footer of the homepage of my website, stephensevolution. com. Thank you for joining me today and I look forward to sharing more stories with you in the future.