article from FEBRUARY-MARCH 2009
Hiking with Perseverance
Have you ever hiked a new trail that seemed to go on without end? Did nervousness cause you to give up—even though the end was only a short distance away? Keeping your mind focused on the goal will ensure success every time!
By Ryan L. Caswell
As you peer down the forest trail, apprehension grips your stomach. This new trail should have ended long ago.
Source: Getty Images
The surrounding forest barely allows sunlight to pass through the canopy of dense foliage, making it nearly impossible to see the next few steps ahead.
This seemingly unending trail has gone on for hours and has become only narrower. At the trailhead, the map showed five miles—but surely you have gone much farther. Perhaps you missed a trail junction and began an entirely different route.
Your mind is now racing, unsure of whether you are on the correct path. Uncertainty overwhelms you. The trail appeared easy on the map, but in reality, tight paths, bending turns and constant contours choke it. The fluttering in your stomach turns to nervousness, and you begin to consider turning around.
Not knowing what to do, you hesitantly peer backward through the forest, unsure if you should retrace your steps. Even though it may take several hours to return, at least you are familiar with the path.
As you crane your neck to see what is through the dense brush ahead, you are unable to make a decision. Your instincts tell you to go back, but a small part of your mind urges you to continue and finish the hike.
New Paths Require Courage
How many times have you been in a similar situation? If you enjoy hiking, it has probably happened many times. When exploring a new trail, it is almost impossible to know what you will encounter. And without a detailed map, trails can be a struggle to complete, especially over unfamiliar terrain. Often queasy feelings result from traveling without a guide.
Most simply allow this feeling of uncertainty to overwhelm them. With their minds compromised, they cannot remain focused on reaching the goal. Instead they turn around, never fully enjoying the hike.
With a new trail, you rarely know when the end will come. However, many times the most difficult paths have climactic endings, such as a beautiful vista, a stunning gorge or a peaceful stream. It takes a strong will to keep this end in mind and finish, especially when it is a confusing or complex trail. On longer hikes, your mind can become your worst enemy.
AYC—An Opportunity to Exercise Perseverance
Those who attended Ambassador Youth Camp 2008 probably understand the feeling of uncertainty very well. Camp activities ranged from a simple game of catch, to braving whitewater rapids with new friends. Although campers did not always know what to expect from an activity, they were often pleased to find out that if they pushed themselves, they could accomplish more than they thought possible.
On one of the hikes at AYC 2008, there were muddy conditions, and some of the campers didn’t think they could finish. Without knowing all the obstacles ahead, they didn’t know what to expect, or how long they could endure. Campers repeatedly asked questions such as, “Are my shoes going to be completely soaked?” and “Am I going to be able to keep climbing hill after hill?”
But on this hike, the campers proved they could persevere. Deciding not to give up, they banded together and helped each other down an especially slippery slope. In hindsight, this proved to be the most difficult obstacle of the trip. But by setting their wills to finish, they did! After this particular slope, the trip was quite easy. It was only the uncertainty of what was to come that made it seem difficult at the time.
Campers learned to apply this lesson of perseverance throughout the rest of camp. Because the schedule was packed with exciting activities, such as obstacle courses, Bible studies, a scavenger hunt and challenging sports, many campers didn’t feel they could keep up with such a demanding schedule. Yet practicing perseverance, they took each day as it came and focused on the activity at hand. They relied on each other and did their best in each situation, not letting their minds wander or worry about how they could maintain such a rigorous schedule.
Ambassador Youth Camp is designed to push limits. Each activity tests the mental and physical skills—and puts perseverance into practice!
Many campers were exhilarated to look back at a difficult or completely new experience and find they were able to overcome it! For example, walking a tight rope 30 feet in the air seemed daunting from the ground. But by hardening their resolve and focusing on putting one foot in front of the other, most proved they were able to accomplish it. And there was even an added benefit: Many campers forged closer friendships because of their perseverance. They each realized that other campers were pushing their limits as well, and could relate much easier.
While misjudging the length of a trail or its obstacles have stopped many hikers, the strenuousness of a hike rarely deters them. In a study published by the National Recreation and Park Association, one of the top five fears of solo hikers was the fear of becoming lost. The study found that by navigating and dealing with these emotions, hikers were more able to fully enjoy the experience.
This feeling of being overwhelmed seems to occur toward the end of a hike, often when a person is close to finishing. But as soon as this nagging doubt takes root in a mind, it is nearly impossible to force it out and go any farther.
Push Yourself!
Back in the forest, your eyes strain against the dense brush. What is beyond the next bend? Is that a sunlit opening through the trees, or a mudslide to the bottom of the gorge? You wish you could see just a little farther to know if it is wise to continue.
The key to overcoming this uneasiness is perseverance!
Perseverance means remaining focused, having your eyes firmly set on the goal and pushing yourself to accomplish a task. While uncertainty and doubt are powerful emotions to overcome, the key to persevering is focusing on a solution—not the problem. Just the fear of the unknown alone will hold you back. By focusing on the problem, such as being lost or possibly going the wrong way, you cannot focus on the solution—that the end of the trail could be just through the next thicket.
It is the same with life. Often the outcome of a given situation is not clear. You will rarely know what will happen next, or how everything will turn out. But before giving in to worry and halting any forward momentum, realize that by continuing just a little farther, you may be within mere feet of reaching your goal!
Perseverance Not Just Physical
Perseverance applies to all situations in life, not just strenuous, physical activities.
Like hiking a new trail, life will never show you what is just ahead through the underbrush. You never see the entire path or the obstacles large and small. But each time you overcome one, you are able to look back with the correct vantage point, and realize you have crossed difficult terrain. Seeing these accomplishments can encourage you to continue.
On the hiking trail of life, there are always options and ways to solve any problems in your path. Remember to focus on the solutions to each obstacle and you will keep them in proper perspective. You will also not get caught thinking about how many “brambles” there have been, or be concerned with how far you still need to travel. The solutions you focus on will translate into actions. Stay focused on your goal—and you will never be overwhelmed!
Perseverance is the key to solving any problem. Whether it is finishing the latest five-mile hike or any other task in life, you will never know just how close you are to the end until you actually climb through the underbrush. At that point, you will realize that the obstacle wasn’t that difficult after all!