Exploring new perspective.

I’ve started hiking with my dog every day. Recording a list for my Instagram followers, (“⛰Hikes” highlighted on my profile here). Rating difficulty level, mentioning what can be found, listing their convenience for parking and dogs. The feedback I’ve received has been beyond encouraging. Endless amounts of gratefulness. The inspiration many needed to get out with nature. To be more active. To get just enough of a glimpse of the joy it brings me and the beauty they can discover with a door opened to explore themselves. While hiking is good for so many things, heart, health, mood, the thing I find most beneficial is perspective. 


Once you climb a huge mountain, those smaller mountains don’t seem so difficult. Everyday stress or hurdles are just stepping stones to a bigger picture. A beautiful life and the necessary roads to see it. Huge mountains seem achievable. Grieving the loss of a loved one, overcoming a traumatic experience, situations that could seem overwhelmingly impossible, now presented in a way that feels manageable.


Ease is granted with each accomplishment, each hike climbed. The confidence achieved is put towards any mountain, any size, any distance. Gained perspective found from a checklist of peaks earned. The flexibility and opened doors that come with advancing strength, bravery, and will are tremendous. Hiking becomes more rewarding, and so does living. 


So yeah, life might throw huge, slippery, get on your hands and knees, hanging on for dear life mountains to climb, but we do it. We do it because of what greets us when we do. A mirror with new self reflection. The image of what we’ve conquered. A picture of something daunting with a smiling face before it. Fearless bravery ready for anything. The journey creates the peace. Trust in our own ability to create a reflection staring back that motivates and inspires continued strength. The girl I see finished that hike and is excited for the next. Sure, she climbed a little higher than she would have liked to crawl down, but now she has a story. A memory for next time the climb feels too high. Another star for her board of life. Added accomplishment for today makes tomorrow easier. 


Please head to my Instagram and check out my highlighted story, “⛰Hikes”. Even if you don’t think you like hiking or if you don’t live in the LA area, it might just give you that boost of energy, curiosity and desire to dive into a new perspective.