Hiking is a good metaphor for life. Cheesy buy true. We set out to hike to the top, which at the bottom looked to be impossible. But once we got there we found that it was easier than we had thought... well, easy for some, harder for others. In life we have to overcome many obstacles and life struggles, but we eventually reach the top, look back and see that we made it, and that it wasn't as bad to get through as we thought it would be.
Although there were some miscommunication errors on my part - last week was just a riot of thoughts in my head - the hike was good. At least everyone got the memo that the location changed from Runyon Canyon to Griffith Park's Mount Hollywood Hike - for various reasons: 1) shadier, 2) less incline. It was about a two hour hike round-trip. We stopped at the top to eat lunch, where aggressive yellow jackets tried eating our food. Then we made our way back down and stopped at Dante's Peak, which was a really pretty garden that seemed to be randomly placed on this sparse hill. Here we rested on rocks and a bench and wrote, reflected, etc. Some topics in our heads were those that I had written last year. Writing has helped me in tremendous ways, whether I use it as a vehicle to vent or a mode of creativity, it is always a means of reflection for me, and as cheesy as it sounds, writing has saved me in a lot of ways. You can try these writing exercises for yourself, if you feel like it:
1. Write a list of Pros/Cons about a dilemma that's troubling you at the moment. This is a great way to see the situation clearly and make a decision.
. Write a poem or a list about the moment. What do you see, smell, hear around you? All of the natural world is around you, reminding you to be calm and peaceful and take in the moment, clearing your mind of anything that's bothering you.
3. Write a list of things you're grateful for. This is something you can take out at any time when you are feeling down. It helps to think about the positive things in life instead of dwelling on the things that are weighing you down and giving you negative stress.
4. Write a letter to someone. Oftentimes we have things we need to say to someone, but we can't find the right words to say or we are afraid of how they will react to what we tell them. In any case, it needs to come out. Be honest, be truthful. Hold nothing back. And whether you give it to them or not, you'll feel better you "wrote" what you needed to say. I feel that oftentimes I am silenced, or I feel like I can't tell people my true feelings. (Side note: My acupuncturist noticed this about me on my first encounter. Stress builds up in your shoulders, in your orange chakra, and if you don't let it out, it can cause knots and pain and discomfort in this area.)
If you want to develop your writing and take on more exercises, check out my other blog, which I need to update:
---- STATISTICS -----
People attended: 7
Time alloted: 3.5 hours
----- RATING ----- (out of 5 stars)
Overall Experience: 4.0
