Don't Stop Now

How many times in life have you struggled really hard at something but when you were done, the accomplishment felt really great. You were proud of what you just did and maybe you were even rewarded. I can think of so many things in my life that would have been easy to quit at but I decided to hang in there and it really paid off. One of the things that I was thinking of was a time when I was hiking out in Colorado with my wife and two sons. The entire area was absolutely beautiful and provided scenes that I can't even describe. When we headed out to Colorado, we had a list of places we wanted to see, sort of a bucket list. One of the things that was a "must see" was the Hanging Lake Trail in Glenwood Springs Colorado. To give you an idea of what this hiking trail was like, here is the brief description I read before heading out: The trail is a steep mile-long climb with uneven rocky terrain. Wear proper footwear not flip-flops. Bring plenty of water and be aware of the symptoms of altitude sickness. Be advised that there is no cell service available. Allow two to three hours to complete this hike. Near the top, the trail becomes steeper and even more rocky, but handrails help guide visitors to the boardwalk that frames a portion of the lake. Once at the top, be sure to follow the signs the short distance to Spouting Rock, where icy water from snow-melt high atop the Flat Tops barrels through a narrow hole in the limestone cliff.

From several people I talked with before I left, this was one site not to be missed. So as we headed up the trail, I was stunned at how hard and difficult this trail was. I have hiked several places in my life but this one was really, really steep. As I neared the top, I remember letting my wife and two sons go ahead while I caught my breath, I actually didn't want them to be around if I was going to die on this mountain. As I sat on the rock, I was wondering why I ever climbed this stupid mountain when I had such gorgeous views down at the bottom. As people came down the mountain, I happened to ask one of them how much further it was to the top, I remember the guy saying that it was at least another forty five minutes or so. I wanted to cry and just quit. I think it was his wife that said "honey, don't do that to him, it is actually only another 3 - 5 minutes". Well with new desire, belief and determination, I set off to see what was ahead. As you can see by the picture, it was absolutely gorgeous. I was rewarded for my hard work and it was worth every minute of it. I just stood there and glanced out at the pristine lake and the wonderful views.

So, you may be wondering what this has to do with a school counseling blog, but I hope you see the point I am trying to make. We have two weeks left of school. Many of the seniors are ready to graduate and many are just plain tired. They are ready to quit and not make it to the finish line. I have seen many juniors starting to take a break and begin their summer vacation. I just ask all of you to hang in there and fight on. Once you finish in a few short days, you will be rewarded. You will be glad you worked hard and kept your grades up. This will reward you with a better GPA and for the seniors it will reward you with graduation and open doors to many opportunities. Let me encourage you to keep walking and just wait to see what is just over the hill. It's absolutely beautiful.