You’ve been on the trail for years, but every time you make progress, another mountain appears. Exhausted and defeated, the easy choice is to give up. But you have a vision in sight, and you know in your heart that it’s meant for you. You get to the next mountain, but the rock beneath you makes you fall. Another setback, another obstacle, more mountains to climb and reclimb.
What do you do?
When you finally crash at the bottom of the mountain, you have four options.
Stay There.
Turn Around and Go Back.
Try Again Using the Same Process.
Try Again But Adjust.
The easiest options are to stay there or go back, giving up because the climb is impossible. The stubborn option is to keep trying the same method hoping that one day the result will change. And the option that will likely lead you up the mountain is to keep moving forward but adapt to what caused you to fall in the first place.
One side has unsteadied rocks that stop you halfway. Another offers a staircase back down. A third provides a plateau to sit and wait for the mountain to move. And the fourth side, there is a path that has some unexpected twists and turns, setbacks, progress, and ultimately if you keep adjusting it brings you to the other side. You know the fourth side has the best outcome, but there will be many moments like this.
Which option would you choose?
A Story of Adversity
In 2019, I found myself hospitalized in a psych ward. I had withdrawn from my master’s program and felt lost. I was diagnosed with bipolar ii disorder, which felt like a life sentence. It’ll likely be a continuous battle of highs and lows, one I will never overcome. At least this is what I told myself. During my hospitalization, I faced a choice. Is this the last chapter of my story OR is this a chapter in my story?
In the depths of solitude, I confronted the question: Who am I, and who do I want to be. I could easily use this as an excuse. “It’ll never get better, so why even try?” But, to not end up back in the psych ward, there were options. Therapy, coping tools, and self-care practices were the three choices I made. With those tools, I rediscovered a piece of myself I lost along the way—the piece of myself that started the journey on that trail.
I remembered how much I loved writing and how it was a powerful asset for me to express myself. In the midst of adversity, when all hope felt lost, I discovered a new path along the trail that led me back on track to where I was meant to be.
A Shift In Perspective
When asked to describe your journey along the trail, what words would you use?
For me, an option is I live with bipolar ii disorder, I was hospitalized in a psych ward, and most days are a struggle to keep going. Another way I could describe it is “I struggled with my mental health, received a diagnosis that allowed me to get the support I needed, and forged a new path adapting to the new information I learned about myself.
Rewriting your story from struggle to growth helps shift your perspective, even in dark times.
There will always be another mountain is the simplest way to view the journey, but I can climb the mountain ahead one step at a time, and changing directions along the way is the most powerful way to view the journey.
Remember: With resilience and adaptation, each struggle can be one step forward in personal growth, transformation, and a new beginning. The power to make this happen lives with you.
