Life is a Hike: Create Your "Vista Opportunity"

Have you ever taken a hike that promised something special at the end? If you have hiked in the Blue Ridge Mountains, it might have been a waterfall or a mountaintop view. And if it was a trail of any length, I’ll bet there were probably a few vistas along the way.

The vistas I am thinking of have given me an opportunity to rest, take a sip of water, eat a snack, look around and plan my next steps.

I have to admit that there have also been times when I just kept on hiking ~ so fixed on the final destination, I missed the vista altogether and missed a beautiful view!

It’s really important to get off the trail and take the vista.

We might stay at the vista for 5 minutes ~ that can be enough to see the view and restore our energy. Some people camp at a vista point for a night or even a few days and that’s okay too.

We are all hiking somewhere. I’ll bet that you have been stepping steadily toward something. What is it? Give it a name.

I want to invite you to create a vista for yourself this week. You are taking the last few steps to something wonderful. What might that be?

Sometimes a hike can feel strenuous ~ like it’s all uphill. If it feels that way for you, I want you to look for a vista.

Sometimes a hike is just plain fun ~ in this case, you still ought to take the vista.

Recently, I was on a hike and, this time, I decided to pause. Quite frankly I paused because I had no idea which way to go next. So I decided to rest for a while.

Something unexpected happened when I took the vista. I stopped and began to look around. (When I’m hiking, sometimes I forget to do that.) I began to appreciate how far I had hiked. And then, unbelievably, a friend came to rest with me. She helped me appreciate the view. She even brought lunch and some friends and we all decided to plan the next few steps together. How incredible! Sometimes, there are unimaginable things waiting for us at the vista if we only take the time to stop.

Oh, one more thing about the vista ~ it’s an incredibly beautiful and positive place. It’s a place where people stop to appreciate where they have come from and prepare for where they are going. It’s also a place that requires presence (i.e., being present in the moment). It's not hard to do, but sometimes we forget to do it.

What is your hike? Where is your vista? What are the beautiful things you see when you allow yourself to stop there?

Write them down. Draw a picture. Writing makes the vista real and allows you to look back at this moment. Just jot down a few notes and keep them somewhere special.

Wherever you are, take the next vista. Re-tie your shoes. Take a sip of water. Write a few things down.

And then, when you have caught your breath, plan your next steps.

© Kathy Sturgis, Ph.D. Kathy is founder of Refreshment Zone and is an organizational and personal development specialist with a doctorate in communication. Contact kathy@refreshmentzone.com for more information on motivational programs.