In the Camino that is my life I am currently learning to let go of competition. It doesn’t help me to know what others are doing. It distracts me, really, because I don’t know how hard or easy a task is for someone else; I only know what challenges I must overcome. In the context of Walking the Camino I am touched by the woman who jokes about being passed by EVERYBODY on the trail. It was funny but I also could relate to how hard it is to watch others do something easily while you struggle at your own pace. She struggled with physical pain. The journey, the thought of finishing, was also then different for her than for some of the others on their way to Santiago.
I have hiked up and over Anderson Pass to the Enchanted Valley with a 60+ pound pack. I know this because the guys were weighing all the backpacks and then repacking to keep the weight down. I gave nothing up; not even my travel bible. I still made better time than others. I was surprised. I realize now that our muscles are trained and conditioned to do different things just as our tolerances to challenges are different depending on the training and conditioning we go through in life.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
I think this documentary is helping me to realize that it is not what your limitations are but what you do to appreciate your own journey. Others napped in the meadow on their way up the pass. I powered up and over and then, under my breath, cursed the boy scouts who appeared as if they were cartoons with boundless energy. On my way back there was growth because I stopped and looked at the mountain with gratitude. I know who am I because of adventures like these.
How is letting go of the ego good for the soul?
