This post is part of the #colorchallenge organized by 
It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words and these two photos fit that bill for me. You look at them and think...that's a pretty nice looking lupine and decent mountain shot....AND?
A few years back, I had set out on a hike with a group of friends. We were going to tackle the Sobranes Canyon Loop in Big Sur which is a 4.7 mile trek with a 1752' gain in elevation. I am thinking, I don't have to tell you that means it's crazy steep (even though I just did.) This was in the dead of winter in California so it was probably around 77 degrees ...that's just how we roll. It became apparent, not long into the hike that I was having trouble keeping up and not long after that I was certain that it wasn't wise for me to continue. I had dehydrated quickly because I was not dressed properly and had not packed enough water...I have not made that mistake again since this day. I also was not in the best physical shape. I decided to head back down the mountain by myself and wait for the group.
A lot happened for me on that trip back. Yes, I got a lot of nice pictures of flowers among other things. At one point, I was hallucinating from lack of water...that was fun! Most significant was that I made some serious, life altering decisions. I was never going to let this happen again! I couldn't fathom missing out on seeing beautiful places because of my limitations, physical or otherwise. Not making it up this mountain was a profound failure that left me embarrassed and so incredibly disappointed in myself. I even deemed this place "Failure Mountain"...seems healthy, right?
From that day forward, I took steps toward getting healthy...eating better and exercising more regularly and intentionally. I ended up losing over 50 pounds! I was also finding ways to forgive myself for what I had once seen as failures in many areas of my life which has been a tougher challenge than shedding the weight and is ongoing.
I did return to "Failure Mountain" (a name I have since retired) and successfully made it to the top, hiking through heavy fog which I found quite symbolic. The view from above the cloud line was amazing! Like the photo of my pretty purple flower, the picture from the summit is so much more meaningful to me than you will ever know. Every time I pass by this place on the beautiful Central Coast of California I am thankful for all it has taught me and all I was ready to learn.
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