SWITCHBACK WISDOM

As Jim and I hiked up Meek’s Mountain, I was grateful for the switchbacks that helped us gradually climb onward and upward. We would hike in one direction for a while, then turn around in the opposite direction as the trail took us a bit higher up the mountain. Our zig zag pattern meant that the changes in scenery would be negligible, but we would gain elevation and reach the mountaintop without becoming too weary. And yet, there were times when I wanted to leave the path and hike straight up to the hilltop vista! The switchbacks could feel unnecessary and even a bit frustrating.

Does it sometimes seem as if your journey of life is filled with switchbacks?

In my life, there are times when I feel as if a certain issue is finally resolved, and then it arises anew. Or I believe I have learned a lesson, but I revisit it with each new circumstance and awareness. Or I trust that I am making progress toward a goal when a detour directs me backward. Or I decide to change a certain way of living or being, but soon relive the same story on a similar path. At times I have wondered, “Haven’t I been there, done that, learned to do better, left this behind – once and for all?”

But there is wisdom to be found on the switchbacks of our trails and our lives. This learning journey of life can be filled with turn arounds and repeats, but we will always make progress in some way. With each step, we will build strength and rise upward. We will observe the same scene from a higher (and perhaps clearer) viewpoint. We will often discover something that had gone unnoticed before. We will smile when we realize, “Oh, I remember this! I now know a better way to navigate this portion.”

We may wish to conquer the mountains of life as swiftly as possible, to reach and enjoy the peaceful vistas that await at the top, but the longer journeys will give us the opportunity to gain maturity and wisdom, strength and stamina, patience and perseverance on the way. Switchbacks enable us to make gradual progress, to observe more of the beauty around us, to reflect a little longer, to note our progress, and to grow in strength, one step at a time. Incremental growth is still growth. When we finally arrive at the hilltop, the view will feel more significant, joyful, and wondrous because of the many switchbacks we have traveled to get there.

May we then find that the longer journey has added to our joy, the gradual progress has been part of our perfection, and the switchbacks have been essential steps of our sacred story.

(Photos by Karen, Meeks Mountain)