Southern Utah is home to Zion National Park. Within the boundaries of Zion is a well-known hike called Angels Landing. Many YouTubers have documented their visits to the top of the peak. That’s how I first discovered this amazing place.
The summit is a place of intense beauty. Atop Angels Landing, hikers delight in the view of the canyon below. And Zion is a stunning park.
But make no mistake, this hike is not for the faint of heart. Over the two and a half miles from trailhead to summit, hikers gain nearly 1500 feet of elevation.
Further, the trail has a series of switchbacks. This stretch punishes hikers. Each step creates a little more strain on their legs. And at this top of the switchbacks, there is still more to go.
This next section is the scary part. The trail grows narrow. On both sides are sheer drops. It’s thousands of feet down to the canyon floor. People clutch the chains as they put one foot in front of another.
Once beyond this stretch the final ascent is a little less terrifying.
I grew fascinated watching people make this climb. Many of them confessed their fears of heights. They struggled with the chains. Exhaustion wore them down. But at the summit, it was all worth it.
Watching their stories, I learned several things about myself.
Many people live life in a rush. They hurry along to get the next best thing. That view of the world always faces forward. In many ways it is a kind of tunnel vision. That hurry blinds us to many valuable things.
It is like the feeling the climbers had at the summit. When you reach a mountain peak, it feels fantastic! This is the moment of achievement. But the time atop the mountain is short. We often forget the work we did to reach such heights.
Angels Landing pushes people to their limit. In making the climb, hikers overcome self-doubt. They gain strength even when they felt weak. The victory was not at the pinnacle. These hikers won by facing all the fears, doubts, and challenges along the way.
That truth applies to you and me, as well. Facing challenges brings us authentic happiness. These hurdles teach us about our character. Likewise, they show us how resourceful we are. More than that, we discover what holds us back.
Every hiker on that trail wants to turn back at some point. Many of them do. But the ones that persevere chose to ignore their doubt. They silenced their fears. Inside themselves they found a strength they did not know they had.
You see, we are stronger than we think. And what holds us back is completely under our control. And when we confront our uncertainty, we level up. We realize we can do it.
That’s why our joy is not from finding ourselves on top. It’s realizing we can get there that uplifts us.
Imagine you were just transported to the top of the mountain. Would that feel like a success? No, because you didn’t work for it. That’s the lesson we need to embrace. Our happiness comes from overcoming difficulty.
When you feel adversity, remember the struggle. Don’t think about the moment of triumph. Think about the hard work you put in to get there.
