Last week, my family was in the mountains. And I absolutely loved it. We went hiking, saw amazing views, even went to a theme park. And, the best part, last week I did so many things that I once thought I never could do.
It’s amazing to me how sometimes, I restrict myself. I tell myself, You can’t do that, and then I believe it. So, I don’t take the risks. I don’t step outside of my comfort zone. And I miss out on wonderful experiences that could have been mine. So, this vacation, I wanted to step outside of my comfort zone a little. I wanted to do things that my brain told me that I couldn’t do. I wanted to prove myself wrong.
Hiking was one of my favorite activities that we did as a family. It was difficult and strenuous, but I liked feeling strong, and the view was beautiful from the mountainside. For me, however, the real test came at the top of a certain trail, called Chimney Tops. At the end of this trail was the top of the mountain, and the only way to get to the top was to clamber up a rock face, with jutting edges and ledges to climb up.
At the beginning, I didn’t make it up. I went up halfway, and then came right back down. My brain told me, It’s too high, you’ll get stuck, it’s not worth it, you won’t make it to the top. And I believed it. To be honest, I was perfectly fine not going to the top. I figured that halfway was good for me, especially since I’m afraid of heights. I was content to leave well enough alone, and I would have been fine going back down, having gone as far as I thought I could go.
But just then, my older sister went past me, and started up the rock face. As I watched her, part of me started doubting that voice inside me. I watched her climbing, and I started to think that I wanted to go that high. I wanted to do more than I thought I could.
So, after a few false starts, I slowly but surely started making my way up that rock. My sister came down part of the way to guide me, and I made progress. To be honest, the climbing part wasn’t that difficult. There were plenty of ledges and big steps to scramble onto, and I was able to find plenty of handholds to grab onto. The problem occurred when I happened to look out, see how high I actually was, and panic. Then I would grip the rock for a moment, steady my pounding heart, and keep climbing, keeping my eyes firmly on the path in front of me.
I can’t really describe the feeling I got, touching the top of that mountain. To most people, it probably wasn’t that big of a deal, not that hard of a climb, though a great view at the top. However, that climb showed me that I can beat that voice inside me, that says You can’t. It showed me that I can be afraid, but I don’t have to give up. It showed me that I can climb a mountain, even when I’m afraid of heights.
We did plenty of other things on that vacation, made plenty of other memories, all as amazing and memorable as that one. And after that, I did things that I might not have done before. I rode a ski-lift-type-contraption up a mountainside while my feet dangled in the open air, I rode a horse through a river, and I went on a roller coaster that went upside down. However, I will remember that mountain, that rock, because it showed me so much more than a pretty view of the Smokies.
In life, it seems that everyone has their mountains. There are things that they want to do, or be able to say that they did, but something holds them back. Be it fear, or self doubt, or a little voice inside their head that says No! Sometimes, though, you have to push away those feelings and give it a shot. Don’t be afraid to try new things, and to do things that part of you says you can’t. Because even though that voice says you can’t, know that you can climb your mountain, and make it to the top. See you next week!
“Reprinted from Hagel Publications, Inc. dba as Courier Newspapers”