I was on vacation for part of August, travelling in Ecuador and Peru. These were really two separate trips, with different tour groups and different purposes, but I found they shared a common theme: we can do hard things.

In Ecuador, we spent five days in the Galápagos Islands, viewing wildlife up close while hiking, snorkeling, and boating. What I didn’t fully understand until I was there is that tourism in the Galápagos is restricted and controlled in order to conserve and protect the wildlife there. As the website www.travelagewest.com describes:

“Among the rules established by the Galápagos National Park Directorate (GNPD) is that travelers can only visit protected areas of Galápagos National Park (which comprises 97% of the land surface of the Galápagos) with an authorized tour operator and/or boat. Even beyond that, visitors must be accompanied at all times by a naturalist guide authorized by the GNPD. In a nutshell: Every company operating in the Galápagos follows a strict set of rules, and no traveler can explore without supervision.”

What that looks like in real time is that we might visit an island and know that we are permitted to be there between 10 a.m. and 12 noon only on that specific day. No coming back later, no choosing to come a different day. Our naturalist guides were with us to ensure we were following all rules at all times. Spotting a piece of plastic in a bird’s nest was a reason to stop our tour while the guides removed it.

The whole experience taught me: We can do hard things. The things we need to do to preserve and protect the environment, we can do them. The only thing that seems to be holding us back is making the serious and collective commitment to do the hard things we need to do.

In Peru I learned the lesson a different way. We did several different things in Peru, but our main activity there was to hike the 28-mile Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, a four-day hike with guides (and porters to carry things, set up tents, and cook meals). This was the hardest physical activity I’ve ever undertaken, and I began training for it four months ago.

The hike was difficult, and I struggled with feeling old and slow compared to others in our group. I wondered if I shouldn’t have attempted this. But over the days, I realized: It’s a hard hike! We’re all on the hike because it’s hard! I shouldn’t avoid activities that might be too hard for me. The difficulty and the challenge are what make the accomplishment meaningful.

We can do hard things. We can attempt hard things and fail. Certainly there will be times in life that we choose what is safe and easy. That’s okay too. But there is a rich sense of satisfaction and accomplishment to be found when we choose to tackle the higher hill.

Want to read more about the hike and see some photos? Check out my personal Facebook page. (And if we aren’t friends yet, send me a friend request!)

Bright blessings,
Sharon