The Hiking Gear Of A Life’s Journey

When you go on vacation you bring your luggage with you, do the same for every journey you take.

How many times have we been told that life is about the journey and not the destination?

A few decades ago, when humanity’s biggest book started to take form, most of the stories we heard were about successful people and their achievements. As the internet grew more accessible, the desire for everyone to claim the holy grail sprouted like the forbidden fruit. And like Eve, we all wanted to take a bite.

The journey began, some knew where they wanted to go, most thought they knew, but we all went without a map.

I’m one of those people who like to walk. Sometimes I want to clear my head, and I go out for a stroll, but the destination is not always clear. It depends on my mood, on how I see Beauty on this day, and on who I cross on my path. Everything I do on those days is about the journey, for I don’t know where my feet will take me.

I’m also one of those guys who love to cook, but while I do enjoy the process of cooking, the sharpness of my blade is only equal to the depth of my hunger, to the sour touch of my palate, and the wonderment of my eyes. I’m able and willing to bring my A-game because of the result I want to achieve. Everything I do in those moments is about the destination, for I crave the taste of food on my tongue.

Life is about two things, the journey, and the destination.

But A Journey Needs To Be Prepared.

About two months ago, I had a trip planned on a remote chalet out of town. A few hours before parting time, some things were missing in my luggage, tank tops — for those sunny days. I went to the store. That weekend, those tank tops were just the thing I needed.

I know a few people who love hiking. Each time they’re about to go on one of their trips, they never forget their backpack, map, and compass — among other things.

One can experience many journeys in a lifetime, all more unique than the last, and each of them requiring a special set of gear.

How do we know what goes in the backpack?

It starts by knowing the destination, or at least to have an idea about it. How about we go shopping?

The Destination Alley

These are three important items you need to have in your cart.

• The right journey, are you traveling for the right reasons?
• The expectations, how far do you plan on going?
• The reality, what amount of work do you need to get there?

The Right Journey

Too often, we live the dreams of others. Between the voice of our parents, the pressure of society, and our own will, there is an ocean of dreams we can swim without finding any fish.

With the first item, the goal is to look at yourself and to find you.

I love to look for me. Every Sunday, a few hours before sleep, I review every work I’ve done during the week. I read all the message texts I sent, I look at all the photos I took, I check all the phone calls I made, and finally, I write down the things I didn’t do.

What I’m searching for here is clarity, I want my sight clear, for I want to see with my own eyes what I did good, what I missed, and what I need.

We go on a journey because we need something out of it. That need should be yours, find it before everything else. Your journey might have no end, but you should always take your compass with you.

The Expectations

Life is like a train station, we hop on one train, get out a few stops later, and the wheel starts again, with one exception, in life, you don’t have to know where to stop, just when it’s enough.

With the second item, the goal is to look for who you want to be.

When you know what you need, it’s easier to make the difference with what you want. There’s this exercise I like to do when I talk with people, it helps me know them a bit better, and helps them far more — I believe.

It’s the “How do you want your life to look like in 10 years?”.

At the beginning of this year, I wrote it down.

I would wake up at 5 a.m, in a house near a beach or a lake, the country doesn’t matter. Next to me, I would have my partner, my soulmate, still sleeping, I’d kiss her.

After a quick workout, I would write a few pages of my book, breakfast time, fresh avocados, and scrambled eggs on the menu. Then I would work on my blog, talking to people, and writing stories to empower them.

After a late lunch, I would go from Shakespeare’s language to Javascript. Night comes, with my partner, we would feel the sand on the beach, dance around bonfires, eat fresh oysters, read each other a book, or simply watch the sunset and the moon rising.

How do you want your life to look like in 10 years?

The Reality

Dreams are the precursors of achievements, but we need to be extra careful with them. For one, we cannot achieve them in dreams. For two, we can be trap in them.

With the third item, the goal is to look for the fighter inside of you.

Every force has a reaction, every dream has a cost, an action. Life is not free, as a friend of mine likes to say. It took two years to build the Eiffel Tower, two decades for the Great Pyramid of Giza, and two thousand years for the Great Wall of China.

It’s about time, but time well spent. There’s no secret sauce for this. However, there is one question.

How much do you want it?

The Journey Alley

It’s one thing to know where you’re going. It’s another to enjoy the process and do the work. Fortunately for us, lots of brave people went on many journeys and came back with lots of lessons we can learn.

• The failures, are you ready to accept them and keep going?
• The change, are you ready (not just willing) to do what it takes?
• The discoveries, are your eyes closed or open?

The Failures

Drive on a road long enough, and you’ll be sure to find a few bumps. You may even hit a deer and have to pull over. It could be your car that is damaged, could be the unfortunate animal, or both.

With the first item, you want to be merciful with yourself.

I cannot count the number of times I received a rejection or a simple no. I would send an article to a publication, my best creation as of date, hope for a few days, and receive a but we appreciate you. On a night out, I would warm up a bit on the dance floor, gather up my courage and ask for the hand of a lady only to receive a sorry, I have to go to the bathroom.

People do whatever they want to do — and they will keep doing it. In a world where seven billions of us exist, how can you expect things to always go your way?

Be merciful with yourself, take a break, take care of you, of your friends and loved ones. Assess the situation, come back, try one more time, rinse, and repeat.

Failures are the seeds of change, water them, and you’ll have a garden of successes.

The Change

Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity.

With the second item, you want to transform into the version of yourself that can respond to your needs.

A few years ago, I wanted to write a book, so I started. A beautiful story about a young orphan and a warrior princess, I jumped right into it, spent countless hours, and fried my brain. I was going nowhere.

It took me a year to get back to it, but no idle time, more than 300 days of preparation. I read lots of books, took a few masterclasses, volunteered at a book fair to meet authors and fellow book lovers, and many more.

Last year, it took me four months and a few weeks to write 141k words (in french) and finish my first draft — a thousand words each day.

It’s all about the marginal improvements, but it’s also about the capacity to step back to see what needs to be done.

You don’t have to figure it all out in one day. Stone by stone is enough.

The Discoveries

Good things often come when we least expect them. You have to be ready. You have to keep your eyes open. For that, you need to enjoy the moment and connect with the now.

With the third item, you want to find the little kid inside you, the one who jumped at every opportunity to play with his friends.

It’s a bit sad, I think, to go on a journey and stay alone when there’s a myriad of beautiful souls with whom you can interact. People that can teach you things, make you laugh, and even clarify your vision.

You can meet the love of your life, and she’s not the tan red-haired girl you fantasized. You can visit the Alps, and it’s a better place than the beach of your dreams. You can try teaching for the first time, and find your gift.

You may notice it’s time for another journey.

The Takeaway

Life is about many things, love, passion, justice, weakness, drama, and so much more. In that pool of experiences, it’s easy to drown in the dreams of others.

Find what keeps you up at night, take that passion as your drive, and blow the wall of reality, to reach the endless sky where dreams come true.