January 21, 2018
Summer is coming! Every year for the past seven years, the ATC offers me a ridgerunning job! I love that job! It’s work I enjoy doing and feel good at, and the venue is the absolute best for me. It’s in the dream job category of getting paid to do something I love doing. Here’s the catch, though. As the years go on, I want to add another description to the “what I love doing” category. I want to add, “supporting, inspiring, coaching others to create radiantly fulfilling walks” to my list of job duties.
Ridgerunning doesn’t include that as one of my duties, although many hikers have received emotional support and coaching for their journey by talking with the me as the ridgerunner. When I have those kinds of conversations with hikers, it would be sooo easy to go beyond the scope of my representation of the ATC and into my Forgiveness Walks role. I’m very careful about steering clear of that, and have kept the handful of summer coaching sessions and classes to my days off. No question about that.
Each year, I have more conversations that urge me to entice hikers to focus on their Inner Journey. I am convinced that Inner Journey work is needed in the hiking community. I walk up favorite mountains imagining retreats, meditations, 13-Steps processes with guidance for hikers in using tools for introspection, charging their energy, clearing out old emotional baggage, meeting each mountain with balanced energy and choice. I have a job mapped out in my head, with pages of notes describing my programs. I have been working with a business coach to learn systems and habits of successful entrepreneurs. In my mind, Forgiveness Walks could be my fulltime job. I even talked about doing that a couple of years ago when I took a summer off ridgerunning. I started out on my hiking summer with John promoting a group coaching program. I gave it up when we didn’t see eye to eye (or foot to foot, I suppose for hikers!) about how to adapt our pace to my “walk in service” vision.
But, the call to “walk in service” is still calling! With Facebook, especially in a women’s hiking group of over ten thousand members, the conversations continue, in greater numbers, and with more clarity about how transformative and strengthening women’s walks could be when they have tools for turning their troubles into blessings. I can help with that!
The question is, is that NOW? Is it time to open the doors to Forgiveness Walks NOW (as in summer 2018)? Instead of working another season at Ridgerunning? In addition to Ridgerunning? In another fashion altogether? (I’m always open to at least three choices!)
When January ends, I will have chosen. I know it. I have chosen clearly for the past seven years.
I am open to your suggestions and comments!
Hit reply and let ’em fly!
Thanks!
