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A Lesson in the Woods

January 7, 2008 · Written by Heather Juma

Last week while vacationing in San Francisco, I had the pleasure of hiking the Muir Redwoods. I absolutely love nature, peacefulness, and the silence of the great trees. Being a woman that relishes a challenge, my brothers and sister chided me to attempt a 2 mile hike straight up. The prize was an unadulterated view of the cerulean blue Pacific Ocean. I wanted to do it. A voice in my head became strong. “It’s freezing,…I’m not in amazing shape after just having the baby…I really should not leave the baby with my mom in the cafe, she’ll probably need me…”

I was bound and determined to do it, but for a second all I heard were the voices. I tuned them out and thought that no matter how hard this trail was, I would regret not doing it the rest of my life. Off we went, along thin trails that hugged the lush and rugged terrain. We hiked and hiked occasionally seeing people coming down the mountain.

When we saw friendly faces coming down from above, we’d ask, “How was it? Was it gorgeous?” Every party that we talked to as we breathlessly trudged up said the same thing. “We never saw it. We gave up.”

As we continue to trudge going into our second hour, we still met people who grumbled that they, too had not seen the peak. “We really wanted to see it, but you’ll never find it. We walked much farther than you are and we are so tired. You should turn back.”

Those in our party convened to the side of a path and began to weigh our options. Should we continue? We had already been walking forever and we were cold and tired.

My 9 year old daughter cried and whined that she wanted to quit. “Everyone else says we’ll never see it. It’s too hard.”

I asked everyone for ten more minutes of trying. Sullenly, they trudged along. Exactly ten minutes later, we saw light. We saw a road and a beautiful rock. Climbing up to the top of the rock, we surveyed the amazing ocean that lay straight across the forest. It was one of the most breath-taking views of my life. In a split second I was profoundly thankful that I had not given up and at the same time I had a pang of overwhelming sadness. I, too had wanted to quit just ten minutes prior and had I, I would have never seen this masterpiece! I thought of all those parties who gave up before us, especially the group that quit a mere ten minutes from their goal! How would they have felt quitting so close to their goal because it got too tough!

Life is a challenge. It takes work. Anything worth doing takes effort and determination. Do not let others talk you out of what you really want, for if they do, you will never see your dreams. If you really want something in your soul, keep your eyes on the prize and never give up. If you do, the goal might be right around the bend. Remember….

“If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can’t, you’re right.” – Mary Kay

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Comments

5 Responses to “A Lesson in the Woods”

  1. Holly on January 10th, 2008 11:09 pm

    That view must have been amazing!

  2. Heather on January 11th, 2008 10:26 pm

    Wow Brandie! The view sounds breathtaking, I hope to make the trip someday! And the “life lesson” you shared is so true! Thanks

  3. Patricia - Spiritual Journey Of A Lightworker on January 22nd, 2008 12:46 am

    Thanks for sharing. You are an inspiration for not giving up to soon.

  4. A Modern Goddess Online » Empowering Women - Issue 12 on January 27th, 2008 11:14 am

    [...] how she hiked the muir Redwoods while vacationing in san Francisco, and how there was a valuable lesson in the woods.  A must read for those that consider quitting due to feeling that things are hard and it’s [...]

  5. Outdoor Adventure Carnival | Wild Bound on February 4th, 2008 2:56 pm

    [...] presents A Lesson in the Woods posted at GWN Lifestyle. Determination on the hiking trail usually results in the best views, [...]

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