Ever feel like you just want to "get there?"
A year and a half ago, I trekked to the top of Salkantay Mountain in Peru. Over the course of four days, we went from around 9,000 feet to over 15,000 feet in altitude covering more than 50 miles. I was certainly not the most in shape in the group, but I had a strategy. I knew that in order to make it to the top without the help of horses or oxygen, I would need to go slow and steady. When there was the option to take a shorter, but steeper route, I stayed the course. My priority was to reach the top, not get there the fastest. Throughout the trek I was consistently in the great physical and mental condition. Not because I was the strongest, but because I knew my goal, I focused on my breath, and I was consistent. I just kept taking steps forward.
I find myself drawing from this adventure often. Here are some of my takeaways:
1) The path is often unclear. On the mountain, we had to get creative with out footing. We had to climb over, under and through. It wasn’t a trail. When I hired my first coach, I came to her with the mission of “wanting to figure out what I was doing with my life.” I wanted her to help me create timelines and workplans because that is what I knew. I was still in spreadsheet mode. Can you relate? I was all about “doing” and was petrified of “being.” My coach walked with me along the path of the unknown. She often reminded me of the Rumi quote that I now share with my clients, “When you walk out onto the way, the way will appear.” We can’t always see what the top looks like, but with each step, we can see where the next step should be.
2) We want to be at the top before we’ve made the climb. Around 3/4 of the way through the trek. We started getting tired. Many of us had blisters and our lungs were getting tired from the lack of oxygen. There were times when we wanted to quit. Throw in the towel. We just wanted to get there already. If I had a dollar for every time I have just wanted to get there already. We want to know what our next job should be without doing the exploration. We want to know when we will find love without healing from the last relationship. If that were possible, we would all be doing it. I don’t believe in short cuts or quick fixes when it comes to making real changes in our lives. What I do believe in is making the choice every day to show up and step up. No matter how long, steep or rocky the climb. Just keep taking those steps forward. And don’t forget to breathe.
3) Surround yourself with amazing people. I know I talk about the power of community a lot and with good reason. We were trekking for 8-10 hours so we had a ton of time to talk. The people that I met while traveling are the most empowering and inspiring humans I have ever met. I made this journey with eight of them and it was with their support I was successful in reaching the top of Salkantay. The thing I love so much about my friendships, is that I LOVE helping and supporting my friends and they LOVE doing the same for me. I didn’t always have many relationships like that. Now I try to only have relationships like that. The ones that build you up, pick you up and tell you to keep going no matter what.
Our experiences in life, whether they are hiking, biking, running a marathon, going on a vacation, in a book club- they all mean something. They contribute to the fabric of who we are as human beings. Take a moment today to reflect on a recent experience you have had. How can you draw on that experience and apply it to an area in your life where you may be struggling or need motivation.
We are looking for a short cut or quick fix.
