Life is a constant struggle within our selves. Always looking for the balance between what we want, what we need, and what we think is right.
So, after a month and a half of fighting off the negative and almost disappointing feedback I’ve received for my decision to backpack through Colorado’s Pike National Forest, I’m just now beginning to cast doubt on myself. It’s not a good feeling. The anxiety, nervousness, and fear that those who I’ve spoken with regarding this trip have projected, is now settling in and attempting to jump through my chest. And in some ways, it should be. I should be afraid, nervous, and downright shaking in my hiking boots. I’m about to attempt a feat I’ve never attempted in my life. Surviving.
It’s kind of sad actually. How could I have gone 25 years without ever really testing my natural instinct to survive? To be forced to live off the land and find food, water, and shelter for myself, without having it hand wrapped and given to me. But the more I think about it, and the more the fear swells within these veins, I have but one thought. Overcome it.
As with all things in life, fear naturally stems from the threat of failure and disappointment. But if we allow ourselves to succumb to the power of fear, we would eventually, no instantly, fail without attempt; without ever trying. So, I must say, I am highly appreciative of my close friends and their motivation that has helped me to attempt this feat. Fear will not win in my life. Nor should it succeed in yours.
