My life has been full of chaos lately, hence the lack of posts! I've been caught up in the rat race and I've been stuck drowning in a river trying to get somewhere I cannot yet see. I'm so stuck that I have not be able to get out to the woods where I hike as therapy. Everyday I ache and long to escape in the woods so I love the movie "Wild" based on Cheryl Strayed's book and life.
I love the movie (& book) because I get to live vicariously on Cheryl's journey for a few hours. I cry, not just during the sad parts but because I'm still stuck here in this rat race aching to get out. If you know me, you know that I love nature, the woods, and hiking (especially alone).
Here are 3 things I learned from Cheryl's journey:
1. Don't regret the past. I cannot regret that I did not venture on my journey earlier in my life. I must make those plans now I must focus on going the direction I want to go- toward discovery.
2. Life is hard. Everyone has problems and life isn't easy. I cannot focus on how hard life is or I will stay stuck in the pain. I must fight to overcome these obstacles and focus on the things I can do and I can achieve.
3. Knowing yourself is one of the most valuable gifts you can give yourself. I know the things I like and dislike. I know who I am and love who I am. I do get heartbroken that I have people in my life that do not really even know me and have no desire to learn about me even though they say they love me. I know I'll be okay even though these people don't know me because I know me and I love me!
People ask me why I love the woods and why alone ~all I can do is explain it by this quote from Henry David Thoreau:
"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms."
You may not be obsessed with the woods and hiking like I am but you need to find some place in your life where you can be alone with yourself, your thoughts, and be your own friend.
If you want to learn about some of my passions you can just watch the movie or read the book "Wild" because Cheryl and I have a lot in common - all the way down to the love of quotes.
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