Recently I was blessed with an opportunity to hike Looking Glass Rock in the Pisgah National Forest. I took a few selfies at the trailhead, grabbed my backpack, and headed up the path with excitement to reach the summit and take in the prize views of the climb. As I went on my journey, I started thinking about the phrase “To Move Mountains”. What does that really mean? Why do I have to move mountains? Why can’t I climb them? What could the climb teach me rather than moving the mountain?
As I stood at the base of the mountain, my heart racing with anticipation, it reminded me of the beginning of a life’s journey; fresh, new, exciting, and unknown. And with only one main goal; to summit. I began the ascent, not really knowing in which direction the path would take me up the mountain, other than to the top. I contemplated the top of the mountain, being the goal to complete the journey of life, and enjoy the view of the heavens before you.
As I walked up the path, I noticed that most of the time my thoughts were simple; look down, stay on course, no time for side excursions, keep the breaks short. Because the goal is to summit, and the faster the better. Much like our lives right? Day in and day out, year after year, there seems to be very little time for breaks to enjoy our accomplishments and take time for ourselves. We seem to focus on the daily goals, and before you know it, life passes and we reach our final resting place not really knowing how we really got there. Sometimes we even forget the reason why we stood at the beginning of the trailhead in the first place. Is that the end? Is that it?
As I finally reached the top of Looking Glass Rock, I laid down on the rocks surface to feel the warmth and power of the earth, enjoyed the views of the heavens, and that’s when the mountain spoke to me…The journey is not over, it’s not the end, life is not over, you can go slowly back down the mountain and enjoy the gifts of the trail. When you finally reach the bottom, you can even start the climb over. This time, take time to enjoy the gifts of the journey along the way up. Just remember that you couldn’t do that if you were to have moved the mountain. Be_awakened.
The Purposeful Hiker 