I'm a natural-born thrill seeker who loves to embrace the twists and turns life has to offer. Here are a few tips I've learned while living the biggest adventure I could imagine.
1. Always remember to breathe.
No matter what you're doing- in ANY situation- remind yourself that breathing is in fact essential to life. Allowing your mind and body that time to refresh and reset can conjure the strength for you to keep moving forward rather than taking steps back.
2. Adopt an "all or nothing" mentality.
Start from the bottom knowing you will make it to the top. If you don't push yourself, find meaning in what you're doing, and work to get where you want to be, you'll want to turn back before you even reach the tree line.
3. Find a travel buddy and hold on to them.
Whether that's a boyfriend, best friend, mentor, etc., you're not meant to hike mountains or face life all alone. Having someone by your side not only keeps you safe from harm along the trail, but also gives you someone to enjoy the views with.
4. Stop to smell the flowers.
Like I said earlier, life's a mountain- that means we have to also keep in mind that it's not always a race. Enjoying the climb means taking a second to look around and appreciate how far you've come between the rough patches.
5. You don't always have to stay on the beaten path.
I'll tell you from experience that some of the most incredible, magical things hikes and life have to offer are hiding. Everything you know you want to get to will still be there even if you take some detours to find things you didn't expect. Most of life's magic is in its mystery.
6. A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.
Climbing to the top of a mountain is never smooth sailing and open roads the whole way up. You may have to climb up the side of a waterfall to get there, (trust me, I have) and you may come out of it looking a little rough. Know it's okay to be imperfect, especially if that means having a little more fun while taking steps toward your goals.
7. There's always another mountain to climb.
You've probably heard the saying "what goes up must come down," plenty of times before, and it's true. Once you reach the peak of a mountain or of a point in your life you may feel stuck. Finding success comes from knowing how and when to change your route and find something beautifully new to pursue.
As you can see, many of the same things apply to hiking and living, so consequently, it could be useful to use some of the same techniques to make it through both. Regardless or whether life is a mountain or an ocean or a marathon to you, please promise me you'll live it to the fullest. I promise it will be worth your while.
