Must Go Up

I recently hiked over 30 miles in the Grand Canyon, where going down is tough and coming back up challenges both mind and body.  Disconnecting from our modern world and reconnecting with nature is necessary from time to time. It’s also important to create instances where things will be tough but we must nevertheless do them.  The rangers at the canyon remind all who enter: going down is optional; going up is mandatory. Going up might require us to set tiny goals, walking step by step. It’s not glamorous when we’re all sweaty and frustrated at the slow pace—yet that’s probably when we’ve done work that matters to us and to other people.  In a field where there aren’t enough jobs, we’re the ones to create them—those who choose to go down, must do the hard work of raising everyone.