Who knows what you can truly accomplish and become?
One day in my mid-20s, I realized I loved being outdoors especially hiking. After the first few hikes, I learned about how much water to consume and what types of foods to bring. I learned that I had to bring at least 1000 calories of easily digestible food. Otherwise, my cognition would deteriorate and my muscles could barely keep moving. Always being the last one to complete the hike became embarrassing.
Then, being the eager beaver and hitting that success stride, I desired to hiker longer and steeper trails. Oye! That required a level of fitness that was new. Building endurance to hike straight up a hill versus walking around the local pond are two very different fitness levels.
Slowly this built up into, what about backpacking overnight and sleeping under the stars on a crisp cool night when cell phones don’t work. Sounds delightful, right?
Easier said than done.
The first time I loaded up the backpack, I could barely lift the pack off the ground let alone carry it on my back. The backpack was packed completely wrong and wobbled throwing my balance off every time I took a step. I learned to distribute the weight throughout the pack and keep daily essentials on top. Thus, avoiding taking everything out of the pack to find the yummy food bite buried at the bottom. That was a 30-minute ordeal that caused us to arrive past dark at the campsite. Another, make sure you pack your headlamp where you can find it!
With every struggle, there’s a glimmer of success in the lesson to be learned waiting to be found.
Mastery comes through in the art of reflection, assessing, and approaching something, a difficult conversation, a new project, a relationship, or even your day-to-day routine, in a new way.
As we turn struggles into success, we build heavy bricks that form a sturdy, stable, strong foundation. When we avoid assessing, our foundation is built on sand. Potential opportunities for success slip through each crack.
When we turn struggles into stand bricks with solid wisdom, we form a clear picture and jump off place to explore something new. Ever tried jumping on sand? It's pretty hard unless you're a trained volleyball player.
In a million years, I never thought I’d climb a 17,000 ft mountain. Yet, with every kernel of wisdom gained in the struggle, I slowly made it to places and breathtaking views that most seemed unfathomable. You can do it, too!
In recent months, what are you encouraged to master? What approaches are you ready to let go of and do something bold and new?
