Congratulations. You have made it to the peak. You have ventured far and wide, overcoming the vast amounts of obstacles that life presents. Now is the time to appreciate your hard work and bask in the beauty of nature. Begin to reflect on your accomplishments and how far you have come. Take it all in. You deserve this reward.
ELEVATIONIn life, the act of showing kindness to others is often overlooked. The energy that is transferred from one person to another through acts of sincerity and selflessness is very powerful. In his article titled, 'Wired to be Inspired', Jonathan Haidt discusses the effects of elevation in social interactions. Elevation is a state in which an individual feels warmth and appreciation for another person's kind actions. In the article, Haidt states that when participants of his study saw unexpected acts of goodness, they were surprised, emotionally moved, and ultimately began viewing humanity in a more optimistic way that triggered higher goals for themselves. While you have reached the peak of your hike, those around you might not have set foot on their journey yet. Keeping this in mind, ask yourself how you can elevate those around you to the same peak you are at. Kindness goes a long way when guiding people on their first step in their journey to a good life.
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FINDING YOUR FLOWAs previously discussed, there may not be something in your life that you can say is your calling, but there are things in life that bring you happiness. At this point in the hike, you have probably found something that does exactly that. The flow state is a special mindset in which an individual is immersed by an activity that provides them with joy and fulfillment. The importance of finding your flow is that once you are in it, nothing else matters. You will continuously return back to the activity that puts you in a state of flow because you are reaping the benefits from it. I think this is one of, if not, the most important parts of the hike because you will begin to experience the happiness/beauty that life has to offer. Take pride in your sanctuary and make it your home.
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GRATITUDEThe concept of gratitude is often overlooked because of how easy it is to say thank you half-heartedly. Throughout our lives, we are blessed by the actions of others and rarely get the chance to express our thankfulness. Now is the time to reflect on your journey and who has helped you along the way. This idea of true gratitude will be very important in the next step of the hike: descending from the summit. Since we are getting ready to depart from the top of the mountain, take the time to be grateful for the view, the nature around you, the hard work you put in to get here, and the hike itself. It has been a long and eventful journey, but it is not done yet.
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