Over the weekend, Doug and I hiked the White Rocks trail near Rutland, VT. As we approached the mountain, still in our car, I thought, “Wow, that mountain goes straight up.” But our friend, Joe, had recommended the hike so, I was confident we were up to the task.

As we entered the dense woods, I started to think about bear, which are a distinct possibility. Then I thought about snakes – oh, how I hate snakes. Finally, I just settled in and focused on the climb – which was “straight up,” but also absolutely beautiful. And as I hiked, I thought, ‘this is life.’

Some won’t go on the hike because they’re scared. They might be scared of what will happen along the way or they doubt their own ability. I had both of those fears, but I went anyway. The journey wasn’t easy, but it was amazing. I was proud of myself when it was over. I’m stronger for having gone. I will take on more challenging hikes next time because I succeeded here. Yes, this is a metaphor for life. It isn’t easy and there isn’t some paved yellow brick road waiting for us to skip down. At times, it’s difficult and scary, but it’s worth it. The view is always amazing. And there is always another mountain to climb after this one. Let’s go!!! We got this! I’ll meet you at the top!

With Gratitude,
Beth

P.S. Our action step for today is to pick the next mountain we will climb. Give this post 5 extra minutes, and chose the mountain; it’s the only way we will conquer it.