The Uniqueness of You and Your Journey

I'm not a big soda fan these days but I know many of you are. In fact some of you are actually connoisseurs of your favorite beverages. However, I hear wait staff, flight attendants and others who serve drinks say to people all the time, "We don't have Coke, is Pepsi alright?" or vice versa. And for some people that substitute is just fine, but for you experts, no way, right?

You know exactly what makes your favorite beverage special and a substitute is not acceptable! Why? Because you know there's a difference and it matters to you! You appreciate and can delineate the little nuances that make your prime soft drink your favorite.

In a similar way our mountain journeys are unique and yet people will also try to substitute another, sometimes their own, for ours. And we must graciously, but firmly decline. We can learn from them, receive encouragement, even ideas, but our treks will still be distinct.

And we must give ourselves permission to reject their path as the one we should take.

Some people want us to follow their route because their journey was successful. And good for them. But that doesn't mean we must comply with their request. Others don't know what to say to us and understandably want to lesson our challenge or pain. Even so, we will need to remember that our climb is still ours alone and we cannot and need not embrace even the most well-intended substitute.

So climb on. Never quit. And savor the distinctive taste of your own special ascent. Accept even the difficulties as your own, learn from them and grow as a result. The view from the top is worth it.