It seems as though every time I go on a new adventure, I learn a different lesson.

I feel so blessed that my eyes are open and able to see things through the “eyes of love”.

May sound corny, but it’s true.

This time was no different.

My husband and I love to travel.

Our latest venture was to Las Vegas.

AKA Sin City.

America’s Playground.

Call it whatever you wish, it is full of energy and life.

We also learned of some of the hidden gems this last time…hidden in the desert.

To escape the hustle of the city for a day, we decided to rent a car and visit Mt Charleston and hiked to the top of Cathedral Rock. It was about a 30 minute drive out of the city.

We left Vegas, a sweltering 91 degrees and ended our hike at 53 degrees!

Quite a temperature change.

But, that wasn’t the lesson…..

Not at all.

The lesson was in the climb.

You see, I consider myself a pretty “fit” person.

I crossfit 4-5 times a week, along with other workouts and didn’t have any concerns about a 1.4 mile hike.

The 1.4 mile hike surprised me.

It was an hour long…one way.

We began the hike with excitement and energy, flirting and chatting along the way.

We stopped for photo ops, a quick glance at the view, all the while thinking this would take 30 minutes at best.

The air, as we walked, seemed to become thinner. We were increasing in altitude.

I could not get a full breath, which was making this “casual” hike feel more like a workout.

We joked that we could be champion box jumpers or win some kind of lunge contest when we returned to our gym, as our legs were on fire 🔥.

Box jumps got nothin on us!

So as we hiked, I felt like God literally started putting fears in front of me.

On the path.

I’m finally getting acclimated to the air…now we climb higher and my air is depleting.

I’m comfortable with the twists and turns. Oh, don’t look down now?!

There is a huge drop off into never land!

And finally…we have to be near the top,right?

As some people were coming down, we asked them.

No where near the top. 😩

I wanted to turn around.

I was done.

This is not fun anymore.

This is vacation! I don’t want a mental challenge.

But, I must go on 💪🏻

I must have sounded similar to an 8 year old in the back of the car.

“Are we there yet”?

“How about now?”

“Now?”

And then, reflection… as my mindset came back around.

What am I internally complaining about?!

Like, seriously…wth is wrong with me?

How lucky am I that I GET to do this?

I get to be here!

At this moment. In this time.

My legs work. My heart is pumping(hard, I might add).

And I am able to see another masterpiece created by our God.

So I thought to myself…you know, this climb is much like LIFE.

We embark on many new journeys throughout the course of our lives.

From jobs to relationships.

Moves to illnesses.

Crisis to success.

And they all have the climb in common.

We start out positive, with a pocket full of possibilities and energy. Then, something goes wrong.

Maybe a slip on the rocks, maybe a fall.

Then we wonder why we started the climb up this awful mountain in the first place, am I right?

I mean, if I go back to the bottom, no one will know.

I was comfortable there.

Before I laced up my shoes, got into the car and onto the trail, my life was FINE.

I want to go back.

What if?

What if?

And now the air becomes thinner and it’s getting harder to breathe.

The symbolism there is the lack of money, security or trust.

We want the air.

We want the comfort.

But, think about this…

Do you want that more than the view at the top?

Some do.

And that is ok.

But, it wasn’t ok for me. (And I do mean that in so many ways)

So, I kept on climbing.

I will see the sun set over this mountain that I may never be able to visit again. And I will feel the euphoria when I realize my goal and that I had the power inside the entire time.

The fear tried to dissolve it, but the fire burned hotter.

The lesson in this story is easy, my friends.

It’s about the climb.

Keep looking up at your goal. Don’t lose sight.

You will slip on the rocks. You will get tired. You will gasp for air. You will want to turn around to go back to your car and slip off your shoes.

But guess what?

If you do,

And you may …

You will miss the joy of stepping onto the peak, where the possibilities are endless and the success is sweet.

Go get it.

Keep climbing.

The best advice?

Bring along a jacket and a big bottle of water 😉

Much love,

Linda 🌲

Anything is possible when you use the power within🌲