Had the good sense to keep it for myself before I embarked on this journey, so I wouldnt put pressure on myself... Was told on a Saturday night that the following day was the only day suitable to go up the majestic Pico mountain in the Azores islands due to weather conditions... So I did not even have time to panic or be scared... and I realized what I have learnt countless times before, there and then that those are pointless feelings anyway. Fear is a survival emotion we use and abuse to our detriment way too often and paralyses us from reaching our potential way too often.
In total, it took 6 hours and 42 minutes up and down... We climbed up
3/4 of the volcano and the guide said we should go down as it was
becoming dangerous... in fact, we had a few storms of wind, snow, hail, rain and mud... And of course ice is beautiful in paintings but dangerous on foot. Like those beautifully crafted people on the outside but cold in their hearts, they can become dangerous after a while.
No we did not walk up a mountain, but yes it was literally climbing with feet, hands, bum and a stick to help. Going up one felt like a god reaching out to heaven, going down was the descent of hell.
I fell 6 times, 4 on snow, 2 on mud, fell flat face on the walking stick, got burnt by the hail in my cheeks, and half way down I wondered why I was thinking that morning if my hair was looking good enough ... It froze!
I learnt that going up in life is a great feeling but you must always remember where you came from and that the higher you climb, the more difficult it will get to come back to reality.
I learnt I must respect and be grateful for my body, at the end of the day this is our most precious gift.
I learnt that in our journey, there will be many mountains to climb but some are more worth than others, and more importantly on must stay realistic and know when danger is ahead of us: it's ok to walk back, it doesnt make your journey less worth it, it makes you a wise person.
I have learnt that the key to success is to take one step at a time, stopping every so often and admire those little details that are so beautiful on our way, that measurement and tracking targets only put on pressure that add no value when you are focusing in doing a proper job, and that balance is the key to our survival.
I have learnt to not assume that what worked 2 seconds ago will be valid 2 seconds later, that there are hidden spots that look innocent but will betray you like some people we meet in our life, but that equally there are some branches which, like the hands of our friends, we can always hold on to, they will never let us down.
Finally I have learnt that if it looks like a mountain, it is a mountain, that you can achieve what you set your mind to do, but that you must always remain humble, honest and true to yourself.
It was an epic journey for me, and I am truly proud of myself. A big thank you to my lovely, patient, interesting and extremely professional guide Mónica from @www.epico.pt whom I highly recommend.
The one word that stayed in my mind: balance.
Ps: note to myself - never ever walk down a mountain again!... until next time
No we did not walk up a mountain, but yes it was literally climbing with feet, hands, bum and a stick to help. Going up one felt like a god reaching out to heaven, going down was the descent of hell.
I fell 6 times, 4 on snow, 2 on mud, fell flat face on the walking stick, got burnt by the hail in my cheeks, and half way down I wondered why I was thinking that morning if my hair was looking good enough ... It froze!
I learnt that going up in life is a great feeling but you must always remember where you came from and that the higher you climb, the more difficult it will get to come back to reality.
I learnt I must respect and be grateful for my body, at the end of the day this is our most precious gift.
I learnt that in our journey, there will be many mountains to climb but some are more worth than others, and more importantly on must stay realistic and know when danger is ahead of us: it's ok to walk back, it doesnt make your journey less worth it, it makes you a wise person.
I have learnt that the key to success is to take one step at a time, stopping every so often and admire those little details that are so beautiful on our way, that measurement and tracking targets only put on pressure that add no value when you are focusing in doing a proper job, and that balance is the key to our survival.
I have learnt to not assume that what worked 2 seconds ago will be valid 2 seconds later, that there are hidden spots that look innocent but will betray you like some people we meet in our life, but that equally there are some branches which, like the hands of our friends, we can always hold on to, they will never let us down.
Finally I have learnt that if it looks like a mountain, it is a mountain, that you can achieve what you set your mind to do, but that you must always remain humble, honest and true to yourself.
It was an epic journey for me, and I am truly proud of myself. A big thank you to my lovely, patient, interesting and extremely professional guide Mónica from @www.epico.pt whom I highly recommend.
The one word that stayed in my mind: balance.
Ps: note to myself - never ever walk down a mountain again!... until next time
No comments:
Post a Comment