The Climb

Life is full of ups and downs and all the moments in between.

We know this, friend.

We’ve reveled in its peaks, suffered in it’s lows, and rested in its valleys.

Life is a perpetual climb, one in which we’re always striving for a destination that we will never reach.

We’re meant to continually be growing, evolving, and rising.

Except that sometimes we lose sight of this.

On a recent hike I couldn’t help but think of how analogies for life the climb was.

Starting new adventures we are always full of enthusiasm, aren’t we?

We are full of excitement at the newness no matter how difficult we – cognitively – know the journey will be.

I certainly felt this as I started my adventure.

Then the climb started to get difficult.

My muscles ached and I began to feel in my body the arduousness of the journey.

I may have even questioned the sanity of my choice to embark on the path at all.

In this moment I had to decide to place one foot in front of the other.

That was all I could do, all that I could commit to.

Just one foot in front of the other.

This was just the beginning of the difficulty, though, and just like many people in life (and on a climb), I started to have doubts.

I doubted my readiness.

I started to think that maybe I should turn back, wait for another moment – another day.

I even started to wonder if I was good enough.

Instead of stopping, giving in to the negative self talk, I kept climbing.

There were times I wondered if I had the capacity, the strength, and the mental fortitude to proceed.

Friend, I’ve had this thought in life; the questioning of if I have the strength to persevere, to go on. I’ve come closer than I care to admit to quitting.

While I allowed myself to stop and breath, to rest and acclimate, to enjoy the views and new vantage points, I didn’t give up. I didn’t stop.

My faith, on the climb and in life, has to be completely in myself as I envision the peak and look forward to standing there and celebrating the climb behind me.

Celebrating the struggles that gave me strength. Celebrating the valleys that provided me rest. Celebrating the accomplishment of a goal.

On this day, friend, I reached my destination and was able to celebrate my victory and accomplishment.

But, yes, this so reminded me of life.

Except in life there is no final peak on which to celebrate, there are many.

There is excitement in this for me.

That there will always be growth and evolution,

new views and vantage points,

challenging steps to find joy and peace in, and

ways in which to perpetually be challenging myself

as I embark on new paths and destinations.

Always,

Your Trusted Friend ♥️