Climb the hill
A short essay and metaphor on the hills we choose to climb and the rewards that lay just behind them.
I almost didn’t climb the hill. It looked like there might be a path, but there were no clear signs. I didn’t want to go where I wasn’t supposed to, I didn’t want to venture too far from safety. But as I kept going I saw people had in fact tread there before, so I wouldn’t be the first. It wasn’t something that was never done before, it was just the path less traveled. It was however, a rewarding route.
From below the cliff it looked like it was just a big hill, I was unsure what was beyond it, or if anything even was. I knew the ocean was in that general direction but honestly didn’t know how far away. As I crept over the top I couldn’t help but feel rewarded for my curiosity.
Often times when I take trails like this I let my gut guide me. When I get to a fork in the road I usually just let my instincts tell me left or right and try not to question it. “My gut knows how to keep me safe (and which route is going to be more fun)” is the thought that runs through my head as I approach the decision. It’s so natural to do this on a hike, so why not in life too? Why can taking the road less traveled in life feel so much harder, even if your gut is shouting at you to take it?
When you take the more narrow path, things can definitely get you — poison oak, poison ivy, animals, falling off the edge) — so you have to keep your wits about you. You have to stay smart and sharp and proceed with caution, but also with curiosity and excitement. Not everyone is going to take the narrow path. It’s narrow for a reason and there are risks and it might take longer. It might also lead nowhere and be a “waste of time” (although is anything ever actually a waste of time?), but usually the some that do take the risk end up enjoying the view, or at least the journey up the hill.
There will be parts you will have to power through and other parts you need to take slow and steady, but there will also be portions that feel euphoric and that serve as a reminder of why you’re on this planet.
For folks who are going to get concerned about hiking on unmarked areas: it was in fact a main path, it was just much more narrow than the start of the trail and new to me, so it seemed like a magical hidden gem… another metaphor I guess — new things can seem unsure at first, but once you keep going you see that it’s not so unusual after all and there is so much magic to be found in it. You’re not alone here either, others have walked this path before you.
Disclaimer: this article is not written with the intention to encourage people to mindlessly wander through unmarked trails! When I wander I do not go off in areas where there aren’t signs of a trail (maybe it’s not a main trail, but it is a trail). I make sure other people are around (a screams distance away) and I do not stray too close to any edges. I am not encouraging reckless hiking or wandering. Take the metaphors with a grain of salt! Have your wits about you and always pick up after yourself.