A hill too high

If you stand in our backyard and look up, the top of the hill appears almost out of reach.  The incline is such that scaling it leaves someone my age a little out of breath.  I can't imagine getting to the top at all with any kind of injury or physical impediment.  I can't imagine having the heart to try if I was feeling disheartened or out of sorts.

Between our hill and the one beyond it is a gentle wooded valley.  To get to it, all we have to do is walk out our back gate, up to the access road and down a couple of houses.  The "Old MacLeod Trail" marks the beginning of the well worn pathway into the serene forest.

I did a meditative stroll through the trail yesterday with Coco.  It was absolutely silent on a Sunday morning, not a voice or manmade sound to be heard.  I found myself strolling with an intention to calm down and breath deeply, the loamy forest smells filled my lungs and the silence soothed my soul.

With absolutely no physical excursion and about 10 minutes of strolling, guess where I was when I emerged from the trail?  I was at the very top of the hill that seemed so impossible to attain just a few minutes earlier.  The incline was so incremental that I didn't even notice.

It reminded me of the many walks I've taken through Joe Miguez's labyrinth at Mindcamp.  It got me thinking that this would be a lovely experience to share with guests who stay with us at the Birdsong Studio and Healing Centre "Artists Loft".  The short walk is a metaphor for many life lessons.

An impossible journey is comprised of many single steps in a forward direction

Slow and incremental progress produces incredible results (It's the little things, done consistently, that make the biggest difference)

We all have the ability to attain our dreams, despite our perceived limitations

There is joy in the journey

I hope you will take this walk with us one day and enjoy the view from the top.  It is truly beautiful and empowering.