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Right Here. Right Now.

Writer's picture: Amanda HannaAmanda Hanna


I did something today that I’ve always wanted to do but just never made the time or effort for. I did a four hour hike, by myself, up a steep, snowy mountain. When I imagined myself doing this there was no snow. And it was definitely more tropical.


There is something truly magical about connecting with nature in your own way and on your own time. There were so many points where I really wanted to just turn around and call it a day. It was crazy steep, the snow was deep and my feet were cold. But I’m a Taurus, stubborn as hell. So I kept trekking until the scramble appeared and the cliff was just a little sketchy on an icy day. The views were incredible and the fresh air had a clearing affect that I so desperately needed. Even more powerful though was the energy. Feeling Mother Nature and being completely surrounded and engulfed in it all by myself is something my soul has been yearning for. It was amazing to see where my mind wandered as I trudged along.

On my way down, I had a moment of clarity. I noticed that I kept looking ahead at the path and some parts were extremely intimidating and slightly terrifying. This made me get a little anxious about how I was going to tackle the incline and the ice. It made the trek up the mountain pretty noisy in my mind; my mind was on overdrive with chatter. Why am I even doing this? No one will even know if I just turn around now. I’m too tired for this. I should have gone to bed earlier last night.


It was non-stop excuses or doubt that I consciously had to quiet down and tell myself I absolutely had this because I am strong. I am healthy. I am extremely capable. Throw your hair in a damn bun and get it girl. When I got to different look out points, I would breathe deeper and slow down, knowing I was only doing this for myself.


When I reached the top, things started to get super sketchy and a very honest voice in my head told me it was time to start the descent. The way down was a much, much different mindset and feel. I hit this one part where I looked in front of me and instantly thought, ‘Umm this is going to end with me on my ass and bruises everywhere.’ But then I that same honest voice that had my back earlier told me to look directly at my feet and focus on the next step. And just like that it sunk in.


We always look ahead which makes our path may seem daunting and scary as we look into the unknown. Sometimes this causes us to say no to things we really want because we’re scared of the potential of failure. We worry that we’ll fall and hurt ourselves so we take a step back. What if I hurt myself? Well, sweetheart, you stand back up, brush the dirt off, rise up stronger and smarter than before.


What would we take on and say yes to if we had no fear of the outcome? What if we focused on only the next couple steps instead of the path as a whole? I think we would live from a place of playfulness, curiosity and love. I definitely could have stopped and turned around at any point to quit, but I would have missed one of the most breath-taking views I’ve ever seen.


Next time you find yourself thinking about your five year plan, future goals and idea of what your life should end up like, try just taking a moment and focusing on the present. What can you do to enjoy the here and now just a little bit more? I’m not saying don’t have ambitions and goals, absolutely you should know who you want to be and what you want out of life but slow down. Enjoy the hike to summit. The lookout points can be the best experiences you’ll ever have.


Be well & Live loud, Amanda

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