I’m standing atop Springer Mountain, GA on a Sunday afternoon. It’s cloudy but not raining. I’m alone but for one other hiker, Mary. She is perched on the rock that marks the southern terminus of the iconic Appalachian Trail. What a perfect spot to celebrate a completion. Mary is rounding out her year-long training for a walk of 57miles in 5 days that begins in two weeks in Scotland. It’s the walk of her dream. Her adult son invited her two years ago to walk in Scotland, in the ancestral land of both his mother and his father. Today, Mary is walking 16 miles over rough terrain, including hundreds of feet of elevation gain and loss that mimics a similar day on the walk in Scotland. It’s a big day, even for seasoned hikers, including myself!
As Mary beams with pride on this momentous day, I reflect with joy myself on how Mary has fulfilled on all five of the Five Surprising Essentials that I encourage my clients to consider when walking into their dream, the mission of Forgiveness Walks.
She knew her trail. Mary studied the guidebook for her trail, The Cowal Way, and trained for the terrain, distance, and elevation change of that trail.
She considered her timing. She let the idea stew for a while, then started training in earnest over a year ago. That gave her time to gradually develop the strength and stamina she needs.
She had support. She invested in her dream by designing a custom package with her coach. Even more important than retaining her coach, Mary heeded her coach’s suggestions, realizing that there are fine points to hiking that make it a joy, not an ordeal.
She considered her gear and her food. During her months of preparation, Mary tried various items of gear, keeping what worked and rejecting what didn’t. Even on the last training hike, she was still scrutinizing each item, ready to switch rain jackets because the one she had been using had lost its waterproofing. She also had an open mind about food, learning about dehydrating her own whole foods in preference to more convenient but less nutritious bars and snacks.
She used her energy-shifting tools. Perhaps Mary’s most essential preparation was her mental, emotional, and spiritual training. During training, Mary had ample opportunity to transform her doubts, fears, and considerations with the tools of ForgivenessWalks and Landmark Education. Perhaps her biggest shift in perspective came one day in January when a big climb stared her down. “This is too hard!” she declared. “Maybe I can’t do this!” “Tell me more,” I said, coaxing her into the first of the 13 Steps to Radical Forgiveness. 10 minutes later, she’s standing at the top of the hill, teary eyed and peaceful. “I wasn’t really doubting my hiking ability, I was afraid that my son wouldn’t love me if I couldn’t do it! Now, I am free of that block and have energy to WALK! Yippee!”
Throughout her training, limiting beliefs, considerations, and impossibilities fell to consistent use of her transformative tools and she stood, accomplished and confident on the threshold of her dream.
What’s YOUR dream? Whatever it is, support its realization with these five surprising essentials. Let ForgivenessWalks help you walk into YOUR dream.
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