Pressing On Is Admirable

I was hiking to hot springs that I wanted to see. Should I tough it out? I knew things were not right and pressing on was not wise.

As I thought about how I was feeling and where I was, I had to make a smart decision. Walking up the trail, my feet started hurting and I was noticing swelling.

Though in the past I wouldn’t have paid much attention, I knew that my health was not the best of late. My energy was a little low, but I knew that would come back with a brief rest. What was it that made me think it was not wise to continue on?

Paying Attention To Yourself

In the past I would have continued on, but not this day. I knew that I was dealing with a problem that should not be pressed too far.

When you find that you are trying to decide between doing something hard and something that can lead to death, you need wisdom. I think that this one of the first times I really made a decision in a case like this where mortality was the deciding factor.

Being brought to recognize one’s own limitation in living is sobering. I survived the hike. I actually enjoyed myself, but I also came understand that I will need to make changes that I have been avoiding.

When Are You Sabotaging And Not?

Two of my kids were calling it quits as I decided to go no further. I wanted to keep going for their sake, but I also didn’t want to for their sake. It is a strange dichotomy to deal with in the moment.

I asked myself, “Am I bailing because it is hard, or am I really in danger?” As I stopped to ponder, I knew the answer immediately, but I still wanted to continue. I wanted my kids to get there. (Then again, it was never their goal to get there, it was mine.)

I knew in this case that it was more important to protect my health than to make a goal. I saw the same look in my wife’s eye even though she was disappointed that I couldn’t make it with her. They did not let the hard hold them back and went as far as they could. Two of my kids actually ran the trail back to our starting spot. The persevered.

If there is real danger in the attempt, don’t move on, but so often we sell ourselves short. We think we can’t go on, but we lack determination to get to our goal.

Who Is your Example Of Pressing On?

I have so many examples in my life. My dad made it through a lot of hardship growing up. He also gave me a love for exploration. I remember as a kid pouring over his copies of Life Magazine that chronicled the Apollo moon landings. At the time, I thought a lot of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. I also looked up to Michael Collins who ensured they had a ride home.

Interestingly, I later came to really respect Gene Kranz who worked for years in mission control.

I thought a lot of my grandfather who fought on the Russian front in World War II pressing on. He lost his brother in a boating accident when he washed overboard during a sudden squall. He flew gliders before the war and was pressed into flying a Messerschmidt when the Wehrmacht (Army) stole some from the Luftwaffe.

There was Rachel Kirby Akin who persevered when her husband died at age 37 when she had five young kids at home and had only a couple of months prior lost a baby.

Too often we think we are not up to challenges in life, but that just isn’t so. I may not have completed the full hike, but I met my goal of being there with my family and having a great vacation. Because I consciously chose to, I made it the best I could under my circumstances. I found ways to make it fun and enjoyable.

Will you make your life what you really want it to be?