The Measuring Stick by Which We Measure
Less than 10 days ago I set the bar- I stated in a blog entry that I was living 'The Best Summer Ever'. Making that statement was like putting a stake in the ground- a standard to measure all past and future summers against. After I hit the 'publish' button on my blog I was worried that I had set my fate; the rest of my summer would start a steady decline. In the 10 days since hitting that button I have to say the summer has only gotten better. I've had 4 hikes in the last 9 days- 2 of them to the same beautiful spot. The day after I published my blog I hiked here-
It was an amazing climb with stunning wildflowers and a gorgeous lake. I knew as I made the climb I would want to return. I knew I wanted to visit again soon because the beautiful, bright, playful wildflowers would only be there for a limited time. So I set my plan to come back 5 days later.
In the meantime I had a hike planned for the next day- 2 hours in the opposite direction. I wondered, "How could tomorrow's hike fill my heart as much as today's hike?" Not only was I going to a different (new) location but I was also traveling with a different set of friends. Perhaps the company wouldn't be as fun. Luckily I was not disappointed as the next day's hike brought me another kind of treat-
Yes, the water probably was about 42 degrees F. But hey, how often do you get to run under a waterfall? The friends on this journey were fun too. I ended my weekend with a big pile of gratitude.
So there I was- 2 days after saying 'The Best Summer Ever' and I had 2 more amazing and breathtaking experiences with good friends. I was once again immensely grateful for the summer I had been experiencing. How long could this happiness streak continue?
Oh remember? I had that repeat hike 4 days later. Going back up the mountains into the wild flowers and visiting the lake at the top didn't disappoint. Once again I was humbled by the beauty of the Wasatch and I was sharing my experience with a good friend. Here's what we witnessed-
It was the perfect way for the Wasatch to share her gifts with me. I felt as if I couldn't get enough; I kept turning back to look at all the views and stopping my hike down the mountain to catch another glimpse of the flowers. I was hopeful the sun wouldn't set and the evening wouldn't end. I wanted to overdose on the splendors that the mountain had to offer me.
Back to the reality of life at home. The end of this week was busy. If you know me that's saying something- I usually keep pretty busy. I had a friend make fun of me for filling all of a California vacation with the beach, an art show, a play, a movie, dining out, and visiting family. She wondered when I relaxed. So the end of this week there was no relaxing. Yesterday I barely went outside and I didn't do any exercise. This morning I felt depleted. So I knew it was time to head back to the hiking trail. I didn't have a lot of time so I couldn't go very far- just back onto my local, Millcreek Canyon.
Now if you've been to Millcreek Canyon you know it's a beautiful place with some challenging hikes. But here I was a week after my 2 amazing experiences headed into what I was considering a sub-par venture. In my head I was already saying to myself, "Okay. You can get in the car and go to Millcreek Canyon but you know it isn't going to thrill you. It's not like Cecret Lake or Stewart Falls". I was setting a standard. Without even stepping on the trail I had expectations that my hike would not be able to provide me with rock star views and the feelings of being with good friends. That made me curious- where else in my life am I doing this comparison dance?
· Hiking Trails
· Views
· Friends
· Boyfriends
· Waterfalls
· Presidents
· Jobs
Hmm.. very curious. When I make these comparisons are they objective? Are the circumstances the same? For example when I hike alone do the views look the same as when I hike with a good friend? What about the context? 4 years ago I had a boss I hated and so I hated the job. Honestly I loved the people I worked with and the difference I was making for the business but the boss was not trustworthy and I didn't feel heard so I hated the job. Another time I had a job where the boss was great and the work was boring so I hated the job. Can I measure these 2 jobs in the same way? The context here is so different.
When I reached the trail and started hiking it honestly felt pretty mundane. No beautiful flowers reached out to me. There was no waterfall waiting at the end of the trail. I did enjoy my connection with nature and the smell of wet dirt- it had just rained. It wasn't until I was heading back on my return from going down the trail that I noticed something. I noticed a fence that I had looked over with a friend earlier in the summer. At that time I hadn't been to the beautiful lake, or flowered hill, or icy waterfall. I had only been hiking in Millcreek Canyon. At that moment when we looked over the fence my friend said, "Isn't this absolutely amazing! Look at that rock formation! Check out those mountains! This view is just awe inspiring" (Okay so maybe he didn't say exactly that but his words were ones of awe and gratitude). So when I got to the fence I realized it was time- time to change the context and notice those views that were once beautiful to me. It was time to make my hiking experience a new and individual one. To recognize this journey for the worth it had as its own hike. To be grateful for this day and the opportunity to hike in these amazing mountains. To take in this view with the same love and gratitude that the lake, flowers, and waterfall received-
I hope that this lesson that the mountains in my backyard taught me can be carried through to other areas of my life. I want the presence to remember to not always compare. Yes, I always have the opportunity for choice and it is valuable for me to exercise that right. Yet I also want to continue to see the value in all things and not always cast them aside because of something that was better- because sometimes good can be beautiful too.