I hit a nerve!
A week ago, I announced my decision to take a career sabbatical to start my Appalachian Trail adventure. In just one week, this announcement has received:
2,313,995 impressions
26,427 reactions
2,033 comments
51 reposts
Whoa.
In addition, I am quite flattered that Michelle Murillo of Washington DC metro area’s WTOP news wrote such a great feature story about my journey, which you can read here: “Living the Dream: Virginia woman gives up executive suite for tent on the Appalachian Trail.”
You can also watch the YouTube video of my phone interview with her:
All of this has inspired a multitude of welcomed wisdom, good wishes and precious anecdotes - via social media posts, private messages, connection requests, email messages, and texts. I’m still sorting through each message between my daily hikes and as Verizon service allows. Your words are so meaningful to me.
This overwhelmingly positive response is a clear indication of where we are right now as a working society:
What is our relationship with work?
And how does this impact our perception of our selves: our values, our loved ones, our mission on this earth.
We all know that we have outgrown our current collective wisdom.
But what is the new wisdom that will take its place???
This is what we are all trying to figure out.
Together.
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The Appalachian Trail is filled with thru-hikers on the same journey as you and I.
Thru-hikers on the Appalachian Trail are on an extraordinary quest to walk the 2200 miles (3500 km) that connects the 14 states between Georgia and Maine, yes.
At the same time, thru-hikers are on the same journey as me, as you, as all of us.
We are all trying to figure out this thing called life.
We know that we have a limited time. How do we choose to spend it?
We talk about dreaming big, going boldly, and embracing life. But HOW do we actually do it??
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What you can expect from upcoming blog posts:
In addition to sharing my own stories, adventures, and anecdotes through this blog, I also want to share with you the stories of other thru hikers who have inspired me and no doubt will inspire you too.
Thru hikers like:
-Foxy, at 67, is aiming to be the oldest Black woman who completes the Appalachian trail. Today, she just crossed the state line from Georgia into North Carolina! She’s on her way!
-WalMart has architected his dream job that allows him the funding and the flexibility to hike the Appalachian Trail now for his fifth time (and counting)!
-St Michael has used the trail to rewrite his “script”, replacing hopelessness and suicidal ideation with hopefulness and unwavering perseverance.
-Rebel left her job as an ICU nurse to fulfill she & her late husband’s dream of hiking the AT together - a dream they never were able to realize after her husband’s losing battle with pancreatic cancer.
And there are so many more inspiring stories out here!!
A great resource for you:
My dear friend, Michele L. Walter, also went through this same work relationship evolution. As an environmental lawyer for the United States Department of Justice, Michele never felt like her lawyer-ness synced with her human-ness. In 2012, after her mom passed away suddenly from a heart attack at age 58, Michele started experiencing a deep ache that her life wasn’t what she thought it would be. Over the next few years she spiraled into anxiety and depression. Ultimately, she decided to find a new path.
With mindful intention and careful planning, Michele created her own transition strategy to evolve to a new life as a coach and mindfulness meditation teacher in beautiful Colorado.
Today, she owns her own consulting practice - Life From The Summit - to support GenX’ers in their 40’s and 50’s who also feel their own ache that life isn’t what they thought it would be. She specializes in practices, strategies, and teachings that help GenX’ers remember who they really are, find their true direction, and create a new path in life.
You can reach Michele via her website - www.lifefromthesummit.com - or by email at Michele@lifefromthesummit.com
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Let’s do this, shall we??
Dream big. Go boldly. This is life!!
Cris
