Hi Friend
This week I’ve been on vacation in Colorado. It’s been AMAZING. This time I tent camped just north of Silverthorne on the Blue River. I LOVE sleeping next to a river. It’s the best white noise for falling asleep. The weather was hot during the day and cold at night, then rainy on the last night – mostly fabulous! The river is freezing. I wish I was more of a Wim Hof disciple so I could have bathed in it.
This year the quest was conquering Mount Quandary. Its peak is 14,271. The trail head starts at 11,000. That 3000-foot difference is a trail that starts steep and the further up you go, the steeper it gets!! It’s my second 14er. One a year seems like a reasonable goal. I like to think most physical/endurance things are mental, but the lack of oxygen at those heights creates quite an impact.
I’ve always loved hiking and camping. As a teenager, me, Mitch & Tray would venture down to Mohican State Park in Loudonville, Ohio and pitch a tent for a couple of nights. We’d go hiking there even when not camping. The trails and camping in Colorado are on a whole other level.
Nature is a Spiritual Paradise
Sitting around a campfire is one of my most sacred experiences. I can gaze into that flame for hours. My mind wanders, my soul expands, my heart is free and my body tranquil. It’s life giving. It magically rejuvenates every aspect of my being. Ohhhh, and the smell. Mmmmmmm. If I could bottle up campfire smoke and splash it on myself daily, I would be in heaven. I dread washing my clothes and losing that scent. It’s the fragrance of freedom!
This year the river also offered its own special transcendence. Watching it rush over rocks and navigate obstacles is inspiring. Water always finds a way! I visited Dillon Lake and Green Mtn Reservoir which are spectacular, but there is something about moving water that ignites my senses.
Challenged & Refreshed
What I like about us human beings is that recharging our system doesn’t require simple stillness. Facing a literal mountain to climb can be more invigorating for our mental and emotional health, then laying on a beach.
What genuinely refreshes your soul? Do you access it more than once a year? Though it’s not Colorado, I try to put myself in nature, whether on a bike or on a walk.
The satisfaction that comes from conquering a hard thing might just be the best way to replenish our beings. Yet when we’re zapped of energy the last thing we want to do is something difficult. But what if it’s a different kind of difficult? Often we go for distraction, which never revives us. NEVER. Our society is filled with all kinds of distractions pitched as some sort of relief from reality.
A different-kind-of-difficult not only satisfies, it also sustains us. It sounds ridiculous, but having a difficult conversation with someone you care about – that you’ve been avoiding having for who knows how long – opens up life. Experimenting with new eating habits that are inconvenient and hard, generates a new zest. Doing something physical – walking, biking, exercising – is difficult to consistently do, but offers incomparable rewards.
Instigating Ideas
1. Go on vacation, if you haven’t.
2. Go into nature.
3. Define your mountain and climb it.
4. Do the difficult thing.
When my kids were growing up we did numerous location vacations. We’d be in a place for a few days and treat it like DisneyWorld. We’d wake up early, go hard for 14-16 hours then crash back at the hotel. We conquered every place we visited, declaring “we don’t need to come back here.” I LOVED IT! I still do. It’s an aggressive approach to vacationing, yet it was invigorating. I returned renewed.
Hard Things
I really like the phrase “We do hard things.” I like even more embracing that approach to life. Hard things always involve love and fear. What makes a different-kind-of-difficult rejuvenating is because faith conquers fear. The grit of commitment that’s inherent within love, triumphs. Regardless of the outcome, when we act with courage our soul lights up.
Climb your mountain! It may go from steep to steeper, not ever getting easier. It’s worth the risk. Once you do it, it also may not be received well. When I got to the peak, it immediately started hailing and electrocuting me. It was strange, painful and unexpected. It tried to steal the joy of accomplishment, but I basked in the pelting of flesh! It passed and then I relished the beauty of my surroundings.
I hope this week you find something difficult to give yourself to, so your mind, body and spirit are exhilarated. Watch out for distractions masking as relief!