The Trek

The Trek.
Most of you have heard of the Sierra Club. This is a club
dedicated to items of Nature: preservation, appreciation,
visitation, etc. Sometimes groups gather specifically to go
on nature treks or to visit natural preservations and parks,
etc. Sometime in the last year or so, I was given
visualization about such a trek.

Imagine you have embarked upon a hike up a beautiful
mountain. You have carefully packed your backpack with
exactly what you need, leaving plenty of room for small
treasures you might find along the way – perhaps a shiny
rock, an interesting leaf, a chip of pyrite just for fun (yes, I
know most nature hikes stress to take nothing and leave nothing but the whisper
of your footsteps, this is for visualization). Along your hike, you are
traveling with others who have signed up for this particular
hike on this particular mountain during this particular
season. It’s beautiful! You feel clear, strong, excited and
ready.

Your first steps are easy, fun and filled with great
anticipation for the journey. Part way up the mountain you
encounter one of your comrades. They are struggling with
their water bottle in their hand and hiking. You think to
yourself, I have plenty of room in my backpack, I could hold
their water bottle with no problem. So you offer and they
accept this help. They feel lighter and quickly move along
their journey. Meanwhile, you pass another who is also
struggling with their water bottle and the hike. You think,
again, how you have plenty of room and again offer to place
it in your backpack. They gratefully accept. And while you
begin to feel the added weight, you still move along readily.

Further up the mountain, two others are struggling with their
water bottles and you think to yourself, "I am strong. This
journey so far has been fine. I could surely take their water
bottles in my left hand and my right hand. I am a strong
climber, I can do this." You offer, they accept. The other
climbers, now lightened in load, move along at a fast clip
and are now far ahead of you.

Here your journey changes. The feeling of obligation takes
over – you MUST reach the top now because you have
everyone’s water bottles! What if they get thirsty? With the
sense of responsibility the journey is not about joy, personal
treasures, appreciation, and taking one’s time – it has shifted
to “must reach the top – they need me.” The journey is not
for you anymore, it is for them. You have taken your joy out
of the mix.

Let’s take a look at a suggestion to change this scenario.
Your first steps are easy, fun and filled with great
anticipation for the journey. Part way up the mountain you
encounter one of your comrades. They are struggling with
their water bottles in their hand. You think to yourself, I
have plenty of room in my backpack, I could hold their water
bottle with no problem. But instead, you go to them, and
perhaps suggest taking a look at their own backpack; maybe
with a little rearranging they can fit their water bottle into
their OWN backpack instead of holding onto it. Or maybe
they didn’t see the side pocket perfect for water bottles. Or
perhaps, there is no room, and they are the last one on this
hike, everyone has moved ahead. You could offer to walk
beside them for a while.

Here you have not taken on anything that is not part of your
journey and you have guided and helped in empowering
ways. Sometimes, the simple presence of another is enough
to give a boost, a jump start, a second wind, and yet their
journey is still their journey. Help arrives in many ways; it
does not mean we take on items not meant for our trip. In
life, it can mean simply not volunteering for every club or
event (room mom, den mother, Girl Scout leader,
spokesperson, volunteering to get other people’s lunch for
them, etc), nor getting involved in others drama, yet helping
out when you can with what you can. Pick and choose what
you want to participate in. What does your intuition say?

Enjoy your journey! Enjoy the trek you have signed yourself
up for! Guide when needed, slow down when nudged, assist
as necessary, but remember this is a journey meant for you to
take in the scenery just as much as anyone else in this group.
Do not let guilt, fear or worry become your walking mate (it
will really slow you down!). Joy is your guide, Love is
your leader, follow them.