Lessons learned!!

Last weekend I posted about our hiking times in the Scottish Highlands, but I didn’t tell you the whole story!!

IT WAS TOUGH WORK!!!

Some of the slopes were very steep, and the grassy tussocks were super easy to stumble over. There were many boggy areas, and often I would step into a hole filled with freezing water, feeling it rush into my boot.

Our first day out was particularly difficult. Part of that had to do with only 6 hours of sleep in the last 48 hours, but that wasn’t the only problem.

I found myself flailing around as I hiked. I was stepping HARD, almost stomping the ground and using my trekking pole to pull myself upward.

At the end of the day, I was exhausted and discouraged, especially since I had been promised that the next day would be even harder.

So I had a “come to Jesus” talk with myself!!

I KNOW how to hike. I KNOW how to stay balanced and not flail. So what was my problem?

I wasn’t concentrating on my walking, but rather on how bad I felt doing it!!

I told myself that the next day I would stay light on my feet rather than plodding, and I would concentrate on keeping my balance, without depending on the trekking pole to keep me upright.

And you know what…..

IT WORKED!!

With every step, I kept repeating…..”STAY LIGHT FOOTED” and STAY BALANCED”!!

Now, don’t get me wrong, at the end of the day I was exhausted, and my body told me that I had worked hard. However, my mind was in a much better place.

I was more able to enjoy the sun coming up…..

….and the gorgeous views…..

The difficulty hadn’t changed.

My MINDSET had!!

As I return to real life at home, I want to take this new mindset with me. No, I don’t have to worry about being light-of-foot or staying balanced, but I DO need to concentrate on what I am doing….whether in my office or my studio!!

And, even if I don’t want to be doing something, I still need to concentrate on what I am doing, and not on how I feel about it.

That was my LESSON LEARNED!!

Thanks for listening…..