How Do You Want to Remember This Time?

Life Coaching Tip: You are strong, capable, and mighty. When you use your mindset to challenge yourself and expand your physical and emotional capacity, you can soar beyond your wildest dreams! It’s starts with one question: “How do you want to remember this time?” You have only this one precious life. What’s your answer, my friend?

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“Let’s go for it!  I don’t want to remember this day as a time we turned back before reaching our destination!”

This is what I said to my daughter, Marissa, when she checked in with me to see if I was up to finishing the hike we’d started hours earlier at Estes Park in the Colorado Rockies.

Marissa and our son-in-law, Brian, are both athletes and adventure seekers, and we always know we’re in for something fun and heart-pumping when we visit them. And last weekend’s experience was no exception!

The guides at the Bear Lake Trailhead had cautioned us at the start that the hiking conditions were less than ideal.  March and April are the heaviest snow months for the region, and the snow we were trekking on was packed several feet deep.  However, sunny areas had softened, creating “postholes”—where one’s foot can suddenly break through a crust of snow and sink down. It’s jarring when it happens and can be a bit terrifying.

This did happen on our hike to both Brian and my husband, Jerry, who each sunk down waist-deep in the snow.  And when it happened to me while crossing Nymph Lake, seeing turquoise water covering my boot sent alarm bells off in my head. I could hear my dad’s warning from my childhood, “Tracy, never, ever walk across a lake that isn’t completely frozen!”

But I managed to still my mind and made my way to the edge of the lake and onto solid ground  . . . Okay, I am totally lying here!  What actually happened is I freaked out and yelled, “Oh, my God, oh, my God! There’s water under my feet!” And then Marissa calmly guided me to safety. (Lol, I’m sure I looked really cool though!)

In addition to the postholes, there were also areas that were icy and slick.  Even with cleats strapped to our shoes for traction, we all had moments of sliding backward down steep inclines.

I became a member of the “wet booty club” early on. And while it was rather frightening to slide on a narrow mountain edge, I couldn’t help but giggle—as there was no way to maintain my dignity while butt-sliding in the snow!

There’s one more obstacle I should mention: the altitude. We were climbing at an elevation of about 10,000 ft. Now, Jerry and I are from Cleveland, so this was quite a change for our bodies to adjust to.  Initially, our breathing felt labored, and our heart rate increased as we climbed.  However, with time, our bodies adjusted. 

So, by the time Marissa checked in with us to see if we wanted to head back, the altitude wasn’t even a consideration!  We’d hiked past Nymph Lake, and we were standing at Dream Lake. There couldn’t have been a more perfectly named place to have this conversation!

Marissa pointed toward the distance and cautioned that the final destination, Emerald Lake, was over a steep ridge and about as far away as we had just hiked.

I did hesitate for just a moment, because I knew Marissa was concerned for us and the trail conditions were worsening.

But then I asked myself the same questions I often ask my clients:

How do I want to remember this time?

Do I want to remember this as a mediocre experience or an epic win?

How do I want to show up?

And then, the answer was clear. I knew with 100 percent certainty that I wanted to bask in the feeling of being ALIVE in the moment!  I wanted to go for it—and have the story to tell!

So, I reminded myself:

• I am strong, capable, and courageous.
• My desires are powerful.
• Once I decide to show up for myself, I can do anything!
• When I transcend my fears, I feel like a freaking rock star!

I knew that I couldn’t control the conditions:  the altitude, the steep, icy terrain, the postholes, or the soft, melting snow on the lake.

But I could manage my mindset. I could increase my physical and emotional capacity and create the courage, energy, and determination needed to reach our destination.

And that’s what I did.

Actually, that’s what WE ALL did!  And our decision to continue had a ripple effect.  Two other couples, who’d been hesitant at Dream Lake, overheard our discussion.  They then decided to follow our lead and arrived at Emerald Lake shortly after we did.

And sister, the badassery we all experienced during that final trek was incredible!  There’s nothing quite like the feeling of pushing your limits, stretching your capacity, and showing up for yourself in a way that blows your own mind!

That feeling, coupled with the breathtaking views at Emerald Lake, made this experience unforgettable. As I write this, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for my daredevil daughter and courageous son-in-law, who constantly inspire us to stretch and grow.

And as we made our way back down the trail, I found myself thinking about YOU!

I was thinking about how you deserve to live your life to the fullest.

And I was thinking about how I want to encourage you to use your mindset to challenge yourself, expand your physical and emotional capacity, and soar beyond your wildest dreams!

Let’s start with the question that inspired me: How do you want to remember this time?

You are strong, capable, and mighty—even more so than you realize, my friend.

Align with your desires and create experiences worth remembering.

You have just this one precious life — boldly live it with purpose and embrace the exhilarating feeling of being ALIVE! 

xo Tracy

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