Yesterday I spent a lot of time looking up at the mountain. It was completely covered in snow and looked even more formidable than it usually does. Though I never climbed this particular fourteener, it has always served to remind me of the journey and how Mt. Freedom helped me through as well.
When I look there, it brings me back to those first hard days. But it also brings me back to the achievement that this mountain and I had together. It reminded me of the fact that my quit wasn’t all bad and that there was so much learned while on the never ending path of freedom.
I now know myself better than I’ve ever known myself before. It’s because I had to know myself very well in order to complete the journey. I have a kind of confidence in my ability to accept change. I now have a belief in a brighter future, just as the recent past has been bright.
But mostly, that mountain reminds me that we can accomplish anything so long as the mind, heart and soul are willing to work together. This is the future that I speak of when I mention to look ahead.
The path itself can be treacherous at times but the peace that resides at the end of it is what makes the journey worth it. Since my true vision of Mt Freedom lives inside of me, it always reminds me of the fact that the entire quit journey is something fought inside. That we can’t do another’s journey for them, but that we can give them the promise of what lies ahead, beyond the discomfort that we all must face in the beginning.
When there is so much discomfort in the present, it makes it hard to look to what lies ahead and yet, this one exercise can be the salvation of a quit, so long as we can keep in perspective to our reality.
So if you want to see that future that smells cleaner. If you want to see that future where you’ll have a spring in your step like you’ve never had before. If you want to feel the pride that comes from loving both ourselves and those who love us, then take that first step on the path to freedom.
And if you’ve already started and you get discouraged, come here and blog to us because we’re a group of people who can understand what you’re going through because we’ve been there. Sometimes just spelling out your feelings and angers in a blog is enough to make it easier.
And in return we’ll always give you that gentle reminder of what lies ahead where the rewards are. We’ll help you to see the peace that you might not be feeling right now. We’ll help you to find the key that lives inside of you that will unlock the door to freedom.
It’s all there waiting for you. All you have to do is prepare for battle, take that first step and then one step at a time, one hour at a time, one week at a time, you will find that peace that you always knew was there. You will know freedom like you’ve never known it before, because just like the journey lives inside of you, so to lives the rewards! There’s a shiny new life waiting for you just over the horizon. Don’t you want to see it?
ONWARD TO FREEDOM!!!
Chuck
