Motivation
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I am back from an amazing hiking trip. The weather was perfect and the trails were incredible.
When I am walking up mountains, a wonderful thing happens. I become fully present. I believe it has something to do with the hard work of climbing, as well as the fear of falling off a very high cliff. But suddenly I find myself without the baggage of my past. And without the worries of the future. I am focusing on each step.
Walking is a slow way to get somewhere, especially when climbing. We did a hike called Observation Point at Zion National Park, and at the very beginning I was focused on the destination: Observation Point. It was hard not to think about how long it would take to get there (about three hours). But rather quickly into the hike, we rounded a corner and came upon an incredible hidden canyon. There was a sheer cliff reaching upward on one side, and spectacular rock formations on the other. We stood in the silence of the canyon and I thanked God that I got to experience this beauty. My heart was filled with wonder.
When I was unhappy with my weight and my life, I was always looking for instant solutions. If I tried something and it didn't fix things immediately, I gave up on it. It's one of the reasons I stayed stuck for quite a long time. Then I discovered walking. It became such a symbol for me and my journey. Slow, steady, just pressing on.
I learned that one step isn't walking. You have to stick with it step after step after step to get somewhere. There are no instant solutions. But I learned if you keep walking, amazing changes take place. I no longer believe I can change my mind or change my heart. But I believe that both can be changed. If I keep walking, sometimes I turn the corner and am presented with an amazing gift of beauty that stays with me forever. If I keep walking, I am blessed with the gift of endurance. If I keep walking, my belief in my own abilities to persevere changes and grows. The gift of self confidence.
After about three hours, we did reach the summit of Observation Point and the view was indescribable. My friend said to me "our feet got us here". It was an amazing feeling of accomplishment. I could never feel that way sitting somewhere thinking about doing it. Sometimes we want so badly to change the direction of our path, that we get stuck in our heads. I believe the way to make changes in our life is to move forward.
If you feel stuck, remember one choice can put you on a new path. If you are that person sitting in one place trying to figure out how to pole vault to the next place, spinning your wheels because you can't figure out how to do it, look to where you are trying to go. Is it possible that if you start taking one step after another after another, you will get there? I believe you will, and you will be changed along the way.
Now get moving!
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