December 2, 2018
The below text is something that I wrote this summer, obviously before we did our big hike. I just never had the guts to post it. Far more sharing than I am typically comfortable doing. But its been sitting here, stewing in my draft box for months, just staring at me. I guess maybe that I have been getting too comfortable with the status quo, and need to hold myself accountable. So here it is. Now I just have to figure out what is my next big challenge.
The photo at the top of the page makes me laugh. It also gives me goosebumps and awakens the butterflies in my stomach. While succeeding as a humorous representation of a rim to rim hike, it also serves to strike fear in me of what is ahead. In the coming weeks, myself and 9 others will take on the rim to rim hike in the Grand Canyon. Two of us did it last year, and the rest are first timers on their My 3:59 quest.
Just like last year, we will be doing the R2R in one day. Unlike last year, when we did North Kaibab to Bright Angel, we will be hiking South Kaibab to the river then North Kaibab up the big hill to the north rim. Not the ideal route, and not the ideal time of year, and really by rushing through it in one day, we are probably not even tackling a R2R in the ideal way. Last year I fell in love with the Grand Canyon, and I would really love to spend more time exploring and enjoying it and all its beauty. But for now this is the way things have to be and I plan on making the most of it and taking away as much from the experience as I can. I really am just thankful that I get to go back, even if for only a short time.
I’m not really one to try to draw parallels from one life experience to another, and certainly not one to share my thoughts on it if I decide to, but this entire R2R journey must be examined on a deeper level. If you look at the photo on the top of the page, you notice a flat, comfortable spot where things are easy, the scenery is good, and there is no real driving force to change. Unless of course, change is exactly what you want. You REALLY want to get to the other side, and maybe the reason is for a different view, a different experience, or because you are craving the journey that is required to get there. The reason does not really matter, but it does mean EVERYTHING that you WANT to be on the other rim and that you decide to do something about it. The only problem is that directly below your nice, comfortable spot is a steep drop off, that follows a winding and rocky path through unknown terrain before falling off again into an even deeper unknown. To make it worse, the other side is totally uphill, every bit of forward progress a battle of will power and physical strength. While on the journey you will certainly face periods of doubt, look for an easy way out, grow physically and mentally wary to the point of exhaustion, and even moments of fear of failure. You will discover that there are no shortcuts, and that your ability to get to the other rim hinges largely on your ability to stay on task and push onward. It is a daunting task, one that punches you right in the gut when you stare down into that chasm and squint your eyes for a glimpse of the promise that lies on the other side.
So how do you do it? How can you take on such a challenge and be successful? You prepare for it, mentally and physically. You enlist the help of your family and friends, as you undoubtedly need their support as well as their prayers. You commit yourself 100% to the task, and set a plan for success and stick to it. Once on the journey, you simplify things. Never forget the sign, “Down is optional, up is mandatory”. Lean on your friends who join you on the journey, as well as strangers who are also walking the same path you are. Feed off their energy and give them yours, a symbiotic relationship that is good for the human soul. Keep your eyes on the path in front of you. Take one step at a time, one foot in front of the other, and don’t quit no matter how difficult the journey becomes. Soon you will see light at the end of the tunnel, and eventually, God willing, you accomplish your goal.
But the journey is not over yet. You must thank those who supported you, and let them know how much that support meant to you. You must share the things that you learned and use your experience to help the next person who is attempting to undertake the same journey. And you must remember these lessons and apply them to whatever the next journey is in your life. There should always be a next one, by the way, as life is way too short to spend sitting in one comfortable spot for too long. Push yourself and get out of your comfort zone and do something to make your life better and make the world a better place. Then do it again after that.
I may be talking about something as simple as a long hike that takes less than a day. But I may also be talking about a million other things from battling an addiction, to digging out of a mountain of debt, to getting past a failed relationship, starting a new business or career, or whatever other challenge you may be facing in your life. What is important is that you are honest to yourself about where you stand now, identify the change or the goal that you are seeking, and put in the work to be successful. For me, a rim to rim hike in the Grand Canyon meant a lot more to me than just hiking across that great space. But apparently I’m a slow learner, because I have to do it again to try to gain clarity on exactly what it is I am trying to accomplish. True to form for me, though, I have a feeling that it is the journey that is the juice more so than the actual end result. I am thankful everyday for this journey, and hope that tomorrow I can do something to make me a better person than I was today. One step at a time, one foot in front of the other.
Thanks for reading.
