What we think we can do vs. What we can actually do

I'm currently in Sedona, AZ. Today I went for a hike. Now, the first thing you should know about me is that I'm a couch potato. Well, maybe a computer potato. I think about exercising a lot, but don't do it much. I can't remember when I last did anything. I think it was 2-3 weeks ago when I ran up and down my steps for 10 minutes. You get the idea.

So I'm here with my girlfriend who seems to inspire the "weekend warrior" in me. She rarely sits down, rarely drives her car anywhere, preferring to walk or ride her bike. We had agreed in advance that we could go our separate ways. My goal was to journal a lot, meditate, soak in the energy of the vortex, etc. Not necessarily to commit to an 8-mile hike.

But sometimes life gets in the way. I went from the trailhead where we started to the next one, which was a mile away, in what seemed like minutes. I thought, hey, I can do this. It looks like the Holy Chapel (for those of you familiar with Sedona, I started at Bell Rock) is about 5 miles, at least as the crow flies. How the crow walks, however, is quite different.

I set out. Quickly I realized two mistakes I had made: I didn't have enough water, and I should have worn my hiking boots rather than my tennis shoes. Oh well. (It didn't occur to me that I could have gotten in better shape before I came here!) I heard Jillian Michaels from The Biggest Loser shouting in my ear: "I have 400# people doing this, You can do it too! Keep moving!"

Once I hit the Llama Trail, the going got rougher. I met a few bicyclists, and much further along the trail realized I hadn't seen a single other hiker--JUST bicyclists. I met a guy who used to live in Broomfield, where I live, and we chatted for awhile. He laid out the route I was taking and it still didn't sound bad. He said to bear right at the fork, and be sure to go right on the Little Horse Trail and that I was about halfway to my destination and had maybe 3 miles to go.

Unfortunately, I was too eager to take his advice, and I hallucinated the "fork" long before it actually materialized. Taking it started me on a cross-country journey, breaking trail, climbing scree, and heading way more east that I should have been heading. I tried asking for guidance, and think I was getting some direction.

Finally, I stopped for a few minutes to rest. I was definitely not on the trail and really not sure which way to go to find it. So I asked my guides which way to go. I stood up, closed my eyes, and asked: "Which way?" I expected to feel a pull to the right or the left. Instead, I felt a strong pull backwards! I asked, you want me to go THAT way? Up?!" Yes.

So I did. Much later, maybe an hour or two, and I have no idea how many miles, I heard voices. From the top of a rise, I could see what looked like a cairn quite a ways off. Then I realized there were people there, and they had bikes! They MUST be on the trail! I shouted to them, and they turned around, but I realized there was no way we could communicate from that distance. I estimate they may have been 1/4 to 1/2 mile away. DOWN. Back the way I had come. And, I thought, away from where I wanted to go. However, I felt strongly that they represented my best chance to find the trail again, and my current tactic certainly wasn't working.

So I made my way, still cross country, avoiding the prickly pear cactus, and sharp branches. (I'd already been stabbed in the thigh by a yucca!) Eventually I made it to where I saw them, and they were still there. They said we were still on the Llama trail and had a book that showed more accurately where we were. I thought we'd have been further along.

I realized that if I had just stayed on the "real" trail, it would have made the going much easier! First lesson (after the lesson of being prepared): Following an established path is much easier than breaking trail!

Eventually, I reached the Little Horse Trail (hoping for a horse to come along and carry me to the end, but no such luck). At that point, I called Nancy, and she said she'd pick me up at the Chapel in the car. Whew! One problem solved. She also said she'd bring water, which was much welcomed. In addition to water, she also brought Gaterade, which at that point was awesome--I downed the entire quart!

Long story short, and lessons learned: I made it, and actually felt pretty good at the end (and even now, several hours later)! It was fun, overall. I knew I wasn't in danger, I wasn't lost, I would make it one way or another. I had a cell phone so someone could find me with the GPS if it came to that.

I realized that I *can* keep commitments, and that it's easier when I can literally SEE the destination, and the destination is clear cut. Unfortunately, with much of the work I do, the goal is less clear. So I need to figure out how to make the destination more clear--perhaps with smaller goals along the way, and celebrate getting those done.

I'd love to hear your comments! Thanks for reading.

Stephanie Roth is The Relationship Maven, helping you with your most important relationship, the one with yourself. She is channeling her signature DEFOG system into a class, currently called "Busting Out." Look for a webinar introducing it here at the WSBN on June 7. You'll learn valuable information on how you can overcome limiting beliefs, a challenging childhood, and start doing the work you came here to do, while making money!