Life is a journey, so is hiking.
If you have done hiking a lot, you probably understand, but if not, then this article will tell you what you can learn from it.
Here are 5 things going for a walk in nature will teach you about life.
1. Know your destination
It might fun sometimes to just go and do things without a plan. Just go with the flow. As exciting as it is, that can only last so long.
Eventually, you will have to sit down and ask “what’s next?”.
On the other hand, if you know where you are going, you will never have to stop to think about it.
You will always be moving forward, to get closer to your destination.
You visualise how it is going to look like when you get there.
As you get closer, your heart starts beating fast as the excitement builds up.
Eventually, it is the best feeling in the world when you know you have made it to the destination.
2. Life is a maze
The journey is not always in a straight line.
In hiking, you might be afraid to get lost, but as long as you know where you are going, you know which direction to go.
Or even if you do get lost, there is always a way out. Instead of freaking out, you just have to think and visualise your mental map.
Our ancestors weren’t born with GPS, yet the human race still exists.
Same goes with life.
Things change, people changes, circumstance changes. We have countless decisions to make each day.
Which path should I take? What should I do first? Am I on the right path?
The truth is… everyone’s journey is not always what they expected it to be.
We live and we learn.
You don’t solve a maze by rushing it through. You have to stop and think. You have to walk slowly and carefully, reining in your energy – otherwise you’ll get hopelessly lost. The same is true for the problems we face in life.
Ryan Holiday – Stillness is the Key
3. Choose the right people
When I go hiking with some people, if they complain all the way, then I prefer to go alone.
Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy a company or two, and I don’t mind waiting and encouraging them to keep up sometimes.
But you can only hold their hands for so long. Eventually, they will have to catch up or they are just holding me back.
On the other hand, I’d love to go hiking with people who walk really fast and are really good at it, so I motivate myself to catch up to their standard.
Sounds familiar?
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
– Jim Rohn
In life, you will cross path with many people. Some might decide to join you and some might not.
But it is really up to you and them whether you want to continue the journey together.
Look at people around you, are they holding you back or are they inspiring you to be better?
4. Obstacles are not the finish line
In hiking, you might come across a big fallen tree or a big pond of water.
For some, that might mean a dead end, it’s time to go back.
For some, that doesn’t stop them from moving forward. They find another way to move forward to get them closer to their destination.
There are things in life that you can’t control, like the fallen tree.
But there is one thing you can. A choice. You always have a choice.
You can choose to stop and give up, or you can choose to find another way.
If you ever think about giving up and just going back, just have a look at how far you have come.
Do you really want all those time and effort to go into waste?
5. Enjoy the journey
Appreciate the journey. Learn something new along the way.
Don’t stay on the comfort zone too long. Explore some new tracks and find new ways to do things.
“Life is a journey not a destination”
– Anonymous
There are tons of benefits of hiking physically and mentally. And when your body and your mind are strong, you might just discover your true potential.
When you conquer hiking, you might as well conquer life.
Want more? Join the community and get notified when my new article comes out.
Neil Krikul
Neil is currently a Digital Marketer in Hobart, Tasmania. His mission is to become the best version of himself to inspire and provide values to those around him.