WELLNESS AUTHOR
Dr. Isabel Meijering, DACM, L.Ac
BIG BEND, BIG BENEFITS n Here are four lessons I learned from backpacking in Big Bend National Park this past year.
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t the beginning of April, I went backpacking in Big Bend National Park. This trip was a gift and fell on my one-year anniversary of opening my business. If you have your own businesses, you know year one is full of emotions. I’ve learned my beliefs, blocks, strengths and weakness are the business’s as well. It’s a gift to look at both my shadow and light and choose how I want both me and my business to show up in the world. I reflected on this over my 4-day trip where the mountains taught me four invaluable lessons.
JUNE 2022
1
Keep Going
In any challenge, you have two choices — give up or find your rhythm and keep going. On day one of backpacking, I carried a 60-pound pack 4.5 miles up the mountain. It was warm, barely shaded and incredibly steep. The switchbacks became my meditation. When it was hard, a voice in my head said, “You can quit or lean into this experience, see what it has to offer and keep going.” I chose the latter. I use that realization of having a choice in both my business and life. When things get hard, you can quit. However, when you keep going, you’ll notice how far you’ve come. Even if the trail was rough, it led you to the top. Drop your selfjudgment, keep going and you’ll get there. Who cares how long it takes?
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2
Stay Present
If we were supposed to know exactly how we’d get to every place, we wouldn’t be living. The best tactic is to have a rough plan and evolve as you go. Opportunities will come when you trust the process and follow your intuition. On the trail, I tried to not look too far ahead. If I stared at the mountain, wondering how we’d get to the top, it riddled me with anxiety. That is me living in the future, somewhere I’m not supposed to be yet. I must trust I’ve prepared for this experience. I have the map; the details will reveal themselves. Once you let go of micromanaging your journey, the universe rewards you with opportunities.
