What The Sleeping Giant Taught Me

I recently visited Kauai, one of Hawaii’s beautiful islands. One morning I took a hike up The Sleeping Giant. This is a steep trail that passes through a jungle up to a lookout point that provides a sweeping view of a beautiful bay and shoreline.

On the way up, I listened to a melodic concert of birdsong the likes I had never heard before. There were many different birds all singing at once and my heart felt light as I walked deeper into the jungle.

The trail had many switchbacks and was becoming steeper but it was well within my capabilities, so I walked along soaking in the lush surroundings. About a mile, I came upon a wall of rock about twelve feet high and could see this was part of the trail. Someone had spray painted white arrows pointing up the rock face and marked foot and hand holds that naturally jutted out of the stone. Facing the rock, I climbed up as easily as you climb a ladder. From there the trail resumed an uphill path with steeper switchbacks as I continued my quest for the peak.

When I reached the base of the lookout, I again encountered another rock face that required both hands and feet, about 30 feet but not as steep. I confidently scampered up and was rewarded with an incredible view. I sat on a rock and ate my apple as my heartbeat returned to normal and I contemplated the natural beauty around me.

All of a sudden, my mind shifted to the rock face I had encountered at the beginning??of the hike. Was it going to be difficult getting down? What about the rock face I had just covered a few minutes ago? I was going to descend from this peak and going down seemed more challenging and dangerous than going up. My mind rapidly started to run mental scenarios assessing the risks of falling and looking for ways to safely navigate the rocky parts of the trail.

I stood up, put my daypack on my back, and slowly began my way back. As I descended the first rocky section with no trouble, I noticed my mind still thinking about the lower rocky section of the trail and how much more difficult it might be to get down. I passed people of various ages and capabilities and many of them seemed to be less fit than me. I used this comparison to make me feel better about my chances of success. No one but me seemed to be preoccupied with the return trip. But as I walked on, the potential hazardous obstacle loomed larger and larger in my mind.

Halfway down the trail, I was so distracted by these thoughts I took a wrong turn and ended up walking down hill about a mile before realizing I was in unfamiliar territory. I took a deep breath, turned around, and began the march back up to the fork where I had made my mistake. Once on the correct trail, I came upon a couple I had met at the lookout. I was hiking at a faster pace and they stopped to allow me to pass. I said hi and mentioned we might be getting close to the rock wall we climbed on the way up. Immediately, they replied, “We’ve been thinking about that ever since we climbed up this morning. I hope we can find a safe way back down!”

I paused to process what I had just heard: these people were thinking and worrying about the?exactthing I was and they had also been consumed by it. I walked on leaving them and soon came to the dreaded wall. I stood above it, took a few deep breaths and could feel myself become calmer and more grounded. I turned around so I faced the rock as I climbed down.

I remembered the “three points of contact” rule as soon as my foot contacted the first cut out. One move flowed into another and I was on the ground at the bottom in less than a minute. The wall had been so effortless, so simple, and so safe that I turned around to look for the painted arrows to make sure it was the same wall I had stressed over for most of the hike.

A sense of peaceful calm came over me. I was not alone. I felt deeply self-aware and could feel the souls of my feet connect with the earth as I walked on. In this beautiful place, I had been taught a wonderful lesson.

¨?????the mind labels things to protect us

¨?????some obstacles exist only in our minds

¨?????worry does not alter the trail

¨?????deal with what appears on the trail here and now

¨?????when you approach a potential obstacle, come into the present moment with a calm heart and stay connected to your awareness

¨?????you never walk alone