Humbling moment today as I led the decision to walk down a mountain instead of standing and waiting 35 min for a cable car. My wife submissively, obliged and we started our decent. You can see the walking path in the lower right hand side of the picture. You can also get a sense of the distance by seeing the elevation and the small town between the waterline and the land. 

Within minutes I began second guessing my decision and felt the weight of the impact and strain on my wife. I had not considered the fact that she was in flip flops or that the road was steep and somewhat treacherous. Instead, I jumped at the opportunity for adventure and arriving at the bottom more quickly

With each passing moment came new obstacles and dangers and I was tempted to feel guilty for all I had put my lovely bride through. There were donkeys running loose, slippery stones, inclines of more than 45 degrees around corners and let’s not forget the donkey presents scattered everywhere

But as we pressed on we strengthened and encouraged one another. Our bodies were exhausted, but our hearts joined closer.  

There were several parallels to life as we pondered this trip together

1. We can live a life of adventure or opt out from it if we choose. There were several things we would have missed had we taken the cable car, including a brief moment with Gary and Mary Young. The life of adventure is just that…adventure. Go for it!

2. As a leader, it’s good to take responsibility for your leadership, but don’t waste time beating yourself up, second guessing and apologizing while leading through trials. You’ll need the energy to encourage your team

3. You can do more than you ever thought possible. Especially if you are surrounded with a great team to encourage each other!  

4. Keep advancing. It seemed like it would be forever to get down. We just kept taking steps. Before long we saw some progress and gained energy as we descended and reached our goal. 

5. It’s hard to see progress and have energy to finish when all you are focusing on are the “donkey presents”, steep slopes and charging donkeys. Take your eyes off the road and obstacles and fix them on the prize!  

6. Victory is even sweeter because you know what was endured to get there. We will share this memory for a lifetime of what we overcame together. 

My wife is an amazing woman that encourages me in so many ways. Her willingness to go with me wherever I lead is a blessing beyond words. 

May God bless and encourage you today!

#spoiledlife