Push!

Tonight I tried a new class at the gym: kickboxing cardio.  I've never done anything that intense before.  An hour long sweat session that felt like it was never going to end.  I kept telling myself that I just had to get through it, I've done many physically difficult things so this was just another thing.  I hiked the Costa Rican rainforest at 14 years old, if I could do that, I can do anything.  Even though I'm almost 30 (more than twice my age since the rainforest expedition) I can still push myself.  Those 10 days were the best in my life, the most difficult sometimes, and the ones that taught me a couple important lessons.  15 years later and I'm still thinking about them and the impact they've had on me.  I am lucky that my parents were able to send me on that trip to experience the things I was able to experience.

One major lesson I learned that week was push.  Keep going.  If you make it through the experience (hiking 10 hours in rain and mud for example), you will have the pride of completing the task and the joy of being able to look back on it and say "I did it!"  The ability to be proud of yourself and happy with your accomplishments is incredibly empowering.  Whether you were able to walk a block or run a marathon, accomplishing something breeds security, power, and drive to continue.  Sometimes it's hard to push through to the finish, but the end result is worth it!

Life isn't made by the easy moments, it's defined by the hard ones that make the easy ones so much sweeter.  Pushing through makes the opportunity to sit and relax so much better.  Don't be afraid, you might accomplish great things!  I know I have.