Solitude

Hiking is one of my favorite activities in Colorado, specifically hiking the beautiful 14ers. I love the nature, the beauty, and the solitude that comes with it. One of the best parts of hiking is not only do I get a great workout but I also get to disconnect. Finding moments to disconnect from our surroundings and our environment is so important. It gives us the ability to recharge and take care of ourselves. Being physically alone means being alone with our thoughts. No distractions. No conversations. Just our thoughts.

Which brings up the questions, how do we treat ourselves and how do we talk to ourselves in that moment of solitude? Often times when we’re alone we tend to beat ourselves up rather than build us up. I know for me, sometimes when I look back I tend to look at certain situations where I felt embarrassed, or frustrated instead of situations where I felt proud and competent. I start beating myself up for that moment instead of allowing myself to learn from it and move forward. Almost everyone I talk to does the same exact thing. We rethink past actions or encounters with others and start feeling embarrassed, ashamed, or even at times, angry.

I know this might come off as shocking, but we should not be our own worst enemy. Very rarely do we allow others to treat us in a negative way so why should we do it to ourselves? The moment we alter that mentality, we begin empowering and encouraging ourselves, and the past encounters become nothing but a learning experience. Today, I challenge you to become more encouraging to yourself. When your mind wanders, refocus on the big picture and the positives. Instead of dwelling on the feelings of shame or embarrassment, ask yourself, what was I able to learn from that situation and how can I use that new knowledge in the future. As we shift our attitude about us, we begin our journey of overcoming obstacles with courage instead of doubt.