Why we should do hard things

The Friday after conference, 17 brave women woke up before dawn to embark on an adventure in the Colorado Rockies. We drove to Idaho Springs, Colorado to hike one of Colorado’s “easiest” fourteeners. To those who do not know what a fourteener is, they are the 53 mountains that have an elevation over 14,000 ft above sea level in the state of Colorado. So, to call this hiking “easy” would be an insult to its rocky terrain, above tree line windy conditions, and never-ending switch backs.

This hike was hard. It challenged our bodies and our minds. It also gave each hiker the chance to cheer each other on, build each other up, and celebrate our success at each milestone during the hike. Many of us had to push ourselves and each other past the point of wanting to quit. But when we summitted and saw our friends faces full of giddy pride, it made every hard step worth it.

The days following the hike, each muscle that ached offered a reminder of how proud we were of each other for doing something hard and getting out of our comfort zones. Thank you Mount Bierstadt, elevation 14,065, for teaching us that we are strong and the we can do the hard stuff.