Stop and Breathe: Lessons From the Mountain

We’ve all had light bulb moments in life; at times, it seems that wisdom slaps me across the face with a 2×4 to get my attention. One of these moments occurred during a time in my life when I was overwhelmed and not caring for myself at all. I was the sole provider for my family of four, my mother had Alzheimer’s and I was caring for her and my dad, all while I was running two businesses. There was never enough time to do it all, and in my over-committed state there was no time left over for me.

This seemed like the perfect time to leave town for a five-day endurance training, right? Many months prior I had signed up for this “Enlightened Warrior Training” in northern California. I debated the logic of leaving, and even as I packed my bags I wondered what the heck I was doing. I had no idea what kind of revelation stepping outside of my life would bring.

The week was beneficial in all regards, but the challenge that brought me the most insight was a team endurance hike up and down five mountain peaks. This seems like a good time to mention that I have exercise-induced asthma and was in the worst shape of my life due to my lack of self-care. I have the mind of an athlete, however, so neither of these thoughts crossed my mind as we were setting up for the hike.

As we started to climb, I was doing alright at first, but as we ascended it became more difficult for me to breathe. My partner was surprised and grew irritated at my slowing pace; she was incredibly fit and seemed to ooze contempt as I became more challenged. I wasn’t used to being in a position of needing help and felt like a failure. I’d always been the encourager for others, not the one who needed help. My ego certainly didn’t like this, and neither did my partner. She finally grew so frustrated that I suggested she find another partner, and she did. We swapped partners and I ended up with an 18-year-old young man. My new partner could not have been more different. He radiated positivity and kindness, staying right by my side, even carrying my backpack for me as I huffed and puffed my way to the fifth mountain’s peak.

As I struggled, my asthma made me realize the only way I would complete the hike was if I slowed down, received help and took frequent breaks to stop and breathe. This was a perfect metaphor for what I needed to do in my life when I returned home! I was constantly running, never slowing down to rest, recharge or accept help from others. It couldn’t continue, I had to begin to care for myself – or else. Regarding the hike, my partner and I continued up the mountain, and our team collectively won the event, despite my pace.

Lesson Learned: Sometimes you truly cannot push or do any more. At times like this, you need to slow down and take time to stop and breathe. Although it seems like you’re less productive, building in time for self-care is especially important during times of over commitment and overwhelm. Only by taking care of yourself will you be able to serve those around you.

 Sue Hawkes is a Certified EOS Implementer, Certified Business Coach, WPO Chapter Chair, bestselling author and award winning entrepreneur. She is the owner and CEO of YESS! and has been helping entrepreneurs and leadership teams succeed for the past 20+ years. Look for her upcoming book, Chasing Perfection: Creating Success While Piercing the Armor of Self-Doubt, in September 2017.