Challenge Yourself

I climbed a granite mountain yesterday. The climb to the summit of Enchanted Rock in Texas is over 1800 feet and the top is a windy, sheer uphill with not so much as a bird, a bush...nothing existed in the moment but the wind and the sky above and granite beneath my feet. But I did it. Please understand, this wouldn't have been my first choice of things to do but things like this are certainly a top priority for my sister, who urged me to come with her and to take on this challenge. So I did. And I made it to the summit.

Sometimes a challenge is a really fulfilling thing.

The view from the top was vast and so different from anything I'd be able to see from the base of that mountain. Texas and Ohio are very different but I don't think I could fully appreciate it until I got to the summit and looked at what was on the other side. My sister said, "I like to challenge myself like this. I find that the hard things are the good things. It's good for me." I've thought about that idea, simple yet so profound, since she said it, and I know that she is right; the challenge isn't just a good thing for her. It's a good thing for all of us.

Doing new things is scary. Doing hard things may go against the grain of what comes most naturally sometimes. We all get into routines and there are moments when it feels too daunting to break out of routine and run toward a challenge. But the view from the top may look very different to you when you take that chance and start to climb. The mountain might be physical or metaphorical -- you may be facing a job change, relocation to another city, fighting cancer, having the courage to pursue a new relationship or to end one that isn't healthy. When we determine that we will take on a challenge, we find somewhere in the middle of it that we CAN do hard things and that the end result will be worth it.

There is another aspect to taking on a challenge. Sometimes we can't complete things. Sometimes, because we're human, we can't see things through and we fail. I've failed plenty of times in my life and to this, I say that I've never looked back and felt sorry that I tried something and failed. If I'd gotten halfway up that mountain and decided that the summit was too far to reach, I'd still be glad that I tried. What a shame it would've been if I hadn't even tried!

It's worth it. You are worth it.

I'm glad that I climbed a mountain yesterday. I'm proud and pleased that I had the courage to take the first steps and the stamina and strength to see it through. Naturally, I'll encourage you to face off with a challenge of your own. Don't be afraid. Try. Maybe you'll see things through to the end or maybe you won't. Try. Challenge yourself and know that what I'm saying is true. You'll feel more alive.

It's worth it. Every challenge is worth the climb.