On my second day here in Tucson, Arizona, Lindsay and I took a walk.

It was actually a hike.

In Sabino Canyon, they offer a tram ride up a beautiful twisting narrow creek companioning  paved road and will gladly pick you up in several spots on the way down. It’s a neat 4.5 mile clip up to the top at stop #9.

Although for us today, we used that last stop a starting point and “walked” another 4.5 miles into the canyon to a beautiful little spot called Hutch’s Pool.

It’s late tonight, but wanted to let you all know about a couple metaphors that I lived and learned today 🙂

Immediately the starting point of this trial was a tall wall of switchbacks high above the canyon floor creek. From that point, the trail snakes along the ridges and vees and rises and valleys.

This trail is MUCH different than the Paved Road.

When the path is so narrow, the sides so steep and the footing so erratically rocky, you must be mentally present for each step. You gotta slow down and think. You gotta get good at immediately noticing the next best step and confidently taking it while your momentum is working in your favor.

This trail is MUCH different than the Paved Road.

There were only a few other people we met up there. Actually mostly older and wiser groups than us. They were better equipped. They were in great shape. They were quite helpful and all of them were in awesome appreciation of the scenery and the opportunity to enjoy it.

This trail is MUCH different than the Paved Road.

The length of this trip was much further than either Lindsay or I expected. It just kept going and going, we weren’t sure if we’d ever get to Hutch’s Pool, but the friendly passers by, assured us it was up there. The main piece of advice was, “Just keep going, and when you think you’re there, you’re not, you gotta go a little further, and you will be amazed at what you see!”

This trail is MUCH different than the Paved Road.

Finally finding the Pool was amazing. It was worth every step. There is something magical about a destination that you work so hard to get to see in person. We had a picnic, on a big rock at the head of a waterfall on a fantastically beautiful day, alone, miles from anyone or anything made by man.

This trail is MUCH different than the Paved Road.

After lunch, we started back and realized the trip there had really been tough on our muscles, joints and energy, but there is no other way out, than to just keep going, just keep going, just keep going…

This trail is MUCH different than the Paved Road.

We did however know the lay of the land better, and actually made a quicker time back, than our trip out, and felt more aware of all the awesome scenery around us, now that we’d already taken these steps one time before. Our teamwork was in sync, and motive of the Hot Tub at the resort, a wonderful prize to reward our return home.

This trail is MUCH different than the Paved Road.

By the time we got back, I had injured myself. I had pushed very hard, and found my weaknesses. I had exhausted muscles, creaky painful knees, and literally was bleeding in unusual places when it was all said and done. And was ecstatic to have had the experience of it all!

This trail is MUCH different than the Paved Road.

Oops!!! I’ve made a mistake.

For much of my life, I’ve had a thought, that a “good life” is one in which:

• things go smoothly
• there is low stress
• it isn’t painful
• the path is clear
• no scary surprises
• we can get what we want quickly
• and those general kinda ideas 🙂

That My Friends, is a Paved Road

Today I am thankful, that I am no longer on the Paved Road. It’s true, and you know that if you read this blog.

The real reason I’m in Tucson is to attend an event as a member of the Coaching Prosperity School. In less than 12 hours, I’ll be in a small group, working with coaches, leaders, and well known authors, that I have a bunch of respect for.

We’ll be working together, getting real, getting uncomfortable, stretching and growing ourselves, in order to help our clients do the same. It will be painful, it will hurt, and I expect to be challenged along the way.

Just another day on the Trail…

Thank God!

Sincerely,

Aaron Nichols

Question for the Week: Where in your life, have you left the paved road, and set out to blaze your own trail? Tell us all, how it was worth every step, and thanks again for being here at weirdforgood!

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