Time on the trail isn’t just about hiking – it’s about being. The crunch of gravel, the rustle of wind, the heartbeat in your ears – out there, you don’t get to skip the hard parts. There’s no fast-forwarding through the uncomfortable moments. Every step matters. Every mile has a lesson. There’s no avoiding the uphill climbs or the unexpected sounds that come with the wilderness. The trail demands your presence, no matter what mood you’re in or what obstacles lie ahead.
Some days it’s peaceful – sunlight streaming through the trees, the rhythm of your steps syncing with your breath. Other days, it’s messy – mud-slicked paths, blisters forming, and doubts creeping in. But both are part of the journey. That’s the thing about the trail: it doesn’t ask you to perform, to impress, or to produce. It simply asks you to show up. Fully present. Fully human.
The best part? It’s a constant reminder of what I can control and what I can’t. I can choose how I respond to the trail and how I greet each moment. But I can’t change the terrain, the weather, or the surprises that come with it. I can’t predict when a storm will roll in or when the path will suddenly become steep and rocky. I can only decide whether I’ll keep going.
That realization – embracing what I can control and letting go of what I can’t – has changed how I see everything else. The trail has become a teacher of sorts, guiding me to be mindful, to appreciate the journey, and to trust that, even when the path is steep, there’s still a purpose in every step. It’s a journey that keeps me grounded in gratitude, reminding me I’m part of something bigger than myself.
Out there, I feel closer to my Creator. Every breath and every mile brings me back to the truth that while I can choose my attitude and my actions, the rest is a mystery I’m learning to trust. And in that trust, I’ve found freedom. I find peace in knowing that I don’t have to carry the weight of everything. I find hope in knowing that each step I take – even the slow ones, even the messy ones – is seen and known.
The trail teaches us time and again that our sphere of control is limited – our body, our mind, our attitude, and how we choose to spend each moment. It also serves as a gentle teacher, revealing that so much lies beyond our grasp. Surrendering the tension between what is ours to shape and what is not invites a deep sense of freedom and peace, bringing with it the ability to transform the way we live.
The lessons don’t end when I take off my hiking boots. I carry them with me – into traffic, into meetings, into conversations and decisions and late-night worries. I remember that presence matters. That the detours might be part of the plan. That I don’t need to have it all figured out. I just need to keep moving forward, one step at a time.
And so, I keep walking. One step, one breath, one choice at a time – trusting the trail, and the One who laid it before me.
The cover image was created by ChatGPT–4O using the Image Generator.
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