Yup, I stood at the bottom of 500-year old steps in a medieval German castle, left, looking up, thinking, "How was this a good idea???" But I wasn't alone. And part of the fun was climbing back up all those tiny stone steps, carved from ancient rock atop the mountain where the castle sat like a crown amidst an ever-green landscape.
With only one working leg, to say that the ascent was frightening would be a grave understatement. But fear has never stopped me. Sure, it's slowed me down. More often than not. Luckily, a friend had my back. Literally.
When we feel alone, it's easy to become intimidated by what seems to be an impossible uphill climb. As I sit here writing this now, I'm looking up again. This time, it's at metaphorical stone steps of my own design. Just because I made them does not mean the task is any easier. And I'm not sure someone will be there if I start to stumble.
If my friend was not with me in Germany, how would I have gone up those terrifyingly narrow, yet steep, stone stairs??? I would have sat my butt down and used my arms to go up, backwards. One scary step at a time. Not terribly graceful, but grace is overrated. Being independent isn't....
Even if I stumble, I can catch myself. And if by some chance, I don't, taking a tumble, it's going to hurt. A lot. But I know I can get back up again. How do I know? Because I've fallen before. Yet, here I stand today. Looking much taller than my 5'4" frame might suggest.
Courage is not the absence of fear; it's doing what you must, despite it. Be brave. It's often sad, always scary, but you are worth the great effort. And once you achieve the impossible, you can achieve it again, and again, and again, ad infinitum.
You'll sometimes feel lonely during your uphill climb. When you do, stop. Steady yourself. And look around. Bet you'll see at least a few people within arm's reach. Even if you don't, look up. Do you see the Sun? The stars? You're made of the same stuff. You have the same ability to shine. Use it in that moment to push forward. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other. You will reach the top. When you do, think of me. I'll be thinking of you, cheering you on to make the next uphill climb.
#LetItRock
With only one working leg, to say that the ascent was frightening would be a grave understatement. But fear has never stopped me. Sure, it's slowed me down. More often than not. Luckily, a friend had my back. Literally.
When we feel alone, it's easy to become intimidated by what seems to be an impossible uphill climb. As I sit here writing this now, I'm looking up again. This time, it's at metaphorical stone steps of my own design. Just because I made them does not mean the task is any easier. And I'm not sure someone will be there if I start to stumble.
If my friend was not with me in Germany, how would I have gone up those terrifyingly narrow, yet steep, stone stairs??? I would have sat my butt down and used my arms to go up, backwards. One scary step at a time. Not terribly graceful, but grace is overrated. Being independent isn't....
Even if I stumble, I can catch myself. And if by some chance, I don't, taking a tumble, it's going to hurt. A lot. But I know I can get back up again. How do I know? Because I've fallen before. Yet, here I stand today. Looking much taller than my 5'4" frame might suggest.
Courage is not the absence of fear; it's doing what you must, despite it. Be brave. It's often sad, always scary, but you are worth the great effort. And once you achieve the impossible, you can achieve it again, and again, and again, ad infinitum.
You'll sometimes feel lonely during your uphill climb. When you do, stop. Steady yourself. And look around. Bet you'll see at least a few people within arm's reach. Even if you don't, look up. Do you see the Sun? The stars? You're made of the same stuff. You have the same ability to shine. Use it in that moment to push forward. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other. You will reach the top. When you do, think of me. I'll be thinking of you, cheering you on to make the next uphill climb.
#LetItRock
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