I've been hiking for as long as I can remember. As a deeply sensitive person, nature has always been my safe place of comfort and, admittedly, hiding. In times of overwhelm and stress, I always retreat to my closest mountains and find myself wandering into the woods of my own thoughts and deep imagining, sometimes getting lost. Eventually along these journeys, I'll find my way into a clearing with often more times than not, feeling a new closeness with myself, a realization that I have come out of the woods about an issue that I've been struggling with, a new insight about life, or even a new creative idea.
Have you ever heard that walking helps to stimulate your creativity and opens your mind to think in new ways?
On a beautiful day in July last year, I had this exact thing happen.
I was solo hiking up in the Wasatch Mountains contemplating what a lot of other 22 year olds contemplate; what should I do with my life?
I had been pondering this question since I graduated high school and the answers I received were always unclear, full of uncertainty and confusion. I mean, I’m still figuring out who I am. How am I supposed to know what I am and what I want to spend the rest of my life doing?
On this warm summer day, shaded by the lush forest around me, I started to recall all of the many options in front of me. These ranged from becoming a nurse to continuing down the uncertain path of pursuing creative entrepreneurship when all of a sudden, it hit me.
All of these choices I have are all just different paths—different trails, just like the one I was currently hiking on.
This simple discovery felt genius to me and gaining this new perspective made my once stressful decision seem less scary and more invigorating. It was now more digestible and even easy. I mean, I had been hiking since I was a toddler. Having parents who were both active and outdoor lovers, I could hike all day long with ease. So, maybe that same ease could be applied to my life, to this big daunting decision I had looming over my head.
As I kept walking, my heart now pounding harder with both my excitement and increase in speed, more and more thoughts kept coming up relating life to the trail. My North Star is my life mission, my reason for being here. It’s my guiding light, always pointing me in the right direction. A compass is my intuition, keeping me on track with my North Star and ensuring that I’m going the right way. Our packs are like our minds, they tend to be heavy, but can be lightened when being selective of what we carry inside.
I eventually found myself running down the trail with a big smile on my face. With all of these resources and tools that kept popping up for me, I realized something magnificent for a girl who loves nothing more than to hike and gain spiritual insight. I realized that truly, life is just one big hike, and it’s the greatest adventure for our soul’s evolution. It shouldn’t be taken too seriously, unless of course you’re dealing with your most basic decisions for survival. But besides that, this hiking endeavor is supposed to be fun! It’s enriching, a full sensory experience. It’s the ultimate opportunity to learn, explore, and connect in endless ways. Life is a journey and we’re all just hikers, given the same tools, the same resources, birthrights and opportunities as everyone else.
And it was through this personal breakthrough that my guided journal, Life’s A Hike, was born.
The goal of this journal I created is to walk (or shall I say hike) you through some of those life lessons and insights that I've learned and allow you to interact deeper with your own resources, life mission, and personal hiking journey. Hopefully getting you past some inner turmoil you might be presently experiencing in your life.
As someone who’s been journaling for close to 20 years now, I believe it’s one of the most transformational tools for self improvement. It requires introspection, giving yourself a moment to make meaning of your thoughts vulnerably without judgment or editing. Getting your thoughts down on paper is a truly powerful thing. It unlocks a new depth of self, giving you access to a part of you that you don’t normally have on a daily basis. It’s having a direct conversation with your intuition. Journaling provides endless benefits such as helping process any jumbled up thoughts, giving clarity and establishing a new mindset or perspective going forward in life.
Through different journaling prompts, questions and activities, this guided journal I put together for not only myself, but for you, will take you deeper into your own journey, offering you a new perspective on your personal trail.
The following is an excerpt from my journal:
Let's get started! First, we are going to establish who you are as a hiker on this beautiful trail known as life. Because that's all it is. A completely unique adventure that no other hiker will ever experience the way you do. Your own experiences impact you as a hiker. Giving you skills to better your journey and teaching you powerful lessons along the way. Because of this, each and every hiker has meaning, can teach you new skills, and is a beautiful soul also on this journey, just like you. So, let's establish your unique footprint on this magnificent trek.
Try to empty your mind and connect with your heart. Come back to your values, your inner spark and what it consists of. What builds your fire? Remember your North Star. Your life mission. What is your end goal on this trail that you’re on? Decide which option aligns with all of those things. Embody your highest self and make a decision based off of that energy. Don’t consider anyone else in this decision. You know what’s best for you. Trust yourself, your compass, your intuition.
This process can and should be used on any decision, big or small. It doesn’t need to be a long process. This can all happen fairly quickly when you’re in pure alignment with your North Star, have a decently light pack, sturdy hiking boots and can feel the warmth of your inner fire. Based off of all of this, you can be sure that whatever decision you make is the right one.
Everything we could ever need is within us and that is ultimately what the trail has taught me. Big decisions shouldn’t be scary, but exciting. Something to look forward to—to explore new trails and learn from our mistakes and victories. Life is an experience worth having, through the deepest valleys and atop the tallest summits. All of it and everything in between is your big adventure. Your journey of a lifetime. Life’s a hike and we are all so lucky to be on it. I’ll see you on the trails!
ADELINE JANKE is a passionate artist and storyteller. When she’s not writing, she’s chasing adventure, practicing yoga, expanding her mind and spending time with loved ones and her dog, Oakley. www.adelinejanke.com
IG | @adelinejanke
All of these choices I have are all just different paths—different trails, just like the one I was currently hiking on.
Everything we could ever need is within us and that is ultimately what the trail has taught me.