The journey between our feet and the top of the mountain can be our biggest obstacle.
Our vacation is far behind us but the pictures quickly bring back the memories. This particular day found us at a picnic area overlooking the frozen Heart Lake in Yellowstone Park. My eyes intently focused on the top of the mountains as I soaked up every single minute of this space of tranquility. It didn’t seem cold even though each breath we exhaled was proof of the cold temperatures. The peace that surrounded our little moment far exceeded the current climate. It was something I wanted to bundle up and tuck away in my heart.
I realized that peace is easy to sense when you’re sitting in complete comfort with all of your needs supplied and no obligations demanding your attention. It’s also easy to sense when you can simply stare at the top of the mountain and declare how beautiful it is.
BUT what if you’re looking at the top of that mountain as your desired destination and all you can see is the path between your feet and the snow-capped pinnacle? What if your life depends on you conquering that road and its obstacles in order to challenge your real potential? What if the desire to know yourself better outweighs the desire to remain complacent in this journey we call life? What if you can’t live with yourself if you don’t TRY to meet the challenge?
I ask these questions because I truly love to be in the company of people who cannot even look at that mountain without thinking of a way to scale its terrain. They hold a glimmer of adventure in their eye. One can see their “wheels” turning!
It behooves anyone to surround themselves with these types of folks. They have no fear of failure because the odds of succeeding are just as great if not more. Frankly, failure is way overrated. I believe failure only happens if you never put one foot forward. Instead, it’s about mindset, determination, courage, and confidence. It’s about DECIDING you can do it.
As I lowered my eyes I began to see the vast frozen lake in front of us. The mountains stand in their majesty holding their own difficult course. But what about the journey before the mountain? The lake itself held one danger after another and it had to be conquered en route to the mountain?
The voyage before the mountain top experience can be the scariest and offer defeat.
Okay – enough – my point is this. Life is meant to be lived. Your life, my life, and everyone else who holds breath in their lungs. We are creatures with potential beyond anything else on this earth. Many times that potential is squelched because we find a comfortable spot and set up a lifetime camp while the view of the mountaintop becomes so familiar we don’t even look at it anymore. The longer we camp in one spot, the longer and harder the journey seems to present itself. It looks too hard to conquer and we get all tripped up in the nitty-gritty details until we talk ourselves right out of any possibilities of embarking on any new expeditions.
I leave you with this encouragement. Take a good and hard look at your mountain. This time, devise a plan to start moving toward that mountain top. Even if you have to navigate the frozen waters of fear and doubt. Each step you take is one step closer to success. More importantly, each time you take a step forward, the potential within is coming to the forefront. Excitement and courage begin to take the place of fear and doubt. Stamina strengthens and the muscles of faith begin to ignite! Release that potential inside yourself that has been there all the time!
It is true that “life is but a vapor”. Make sure you LIVE IT and by all means
Enjoy the Journey-VB
Check out some of our latest music released this year! It too holds a mountain top experience!
