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A Second Helping Of Life moncler coats Lessons Learned While Thru

moncler sale outlet Almost immediately after publishing my first piece about the lessons I learned thru hiking the Appalachian Trail, I discovered that I neglected to mention a few moncler outlet usa essential things I learned.

cheap moncler coats The first is the simple fact that the most buy moncler jackets toronto rewarding accomplishments in life are often moncler outlet store the hard moncler jacket online won victories which require significant effort, hard work, and perseverance. Even with a light pack the Appalachian Trail isn’t easy to traverse, and the fact it was challenging in some respect every day made the experience more worthwhile. In 2010 I hiked the entire then 485 mile Colorado Trail they added eighty miles to this trail in 2012 and, while also a sizable challenge which provided me with a sense of accomplishment, this wasn’t moncler jackets nearly the beast of a challenge that hiking the entire Appalachian Trail was. It’s one thing to complete a long distance trail in just under five weeks; it is quite another to proceed three months into moncler outlet mall a long distance hike and realize that you have at least three more moncler outlets usa months hiking before you are, both figuratively and literally, out of the woods. moncler jackets kids stretched me to a degree that hiking the Colorado Trail did not and possibly could not have. In other words, it is a similar, yet a more daunting task to complete.

cheap moncler sale On the trail you realize how cumulative life is. You don’t finish the trail without putting in enough daily miles, and such miles cannot be acquired if you are lounging around moncler outlet woodbury in town for many consecutive days because you “don’t feel like hiking.” With my writing I recognize Discount Moncler Coats that any effort, however small and sometimes disappointing, I put forward will eventually help me to become a better master of this craft. This truth also applies to relationships, learning a new skill or a new subject, and beyond.

moncler outlet store While hiking moncler outlet kids I learned the necessity of rest. In hiker lingo a day when you don’t hike any miles is called a “zero,” and during moncleroutletssale my hike I quickly learned how essential such days were to the success of the overall journey. Occasionally I even took a zero on the trail, and, since there was little to do in moncler outlets uk the shelter besides write, play cards, converse, nap, or eat, moncler outlet canada it was a restful day indeed. In town it was often tempting to take long afternoon naps after eating a moncler coats for women filling lunch, and, on occasion, relax by watching a movie with fellow hikers at a hostel. Mentally such breaks were useful because you knew that, even womens moncler jackets if you would return to the trail tomorrow, you wouldn’t have to hike at all that day. I relearned a truth I had discovered in my youth while walking many miles on the dirt roads moncler outlet uk near the farm where https://www.moncleroutletssale.com I grew up: walking helps you think. Thomas DeQuincy once said, “Methinks that the moment my legs moncler jackets toronto begin to move, my thought begin moncler coats outlet to flow.” I’ve found that one of the most guaranteed ways to free my brain from a sluggish interlude is to take a brisk fifteen minute walk around my neighborhood. Years ago I remember reading how the stereotype of “dumb jock” was often untrue because being physically active helped these students learn and excel in school. On the trail I was amazed by how alert and clear headed I often was cheap moncler jackets outlet that is when I wasn’t slapping mosquitoes or carefully navigating the rocky section of trail in northeastern Pennsylvania and even today I notice how all it takes moncler jackets outlet online is for me to find a local hiking trail and walk for about twenty minutes before my mind begins to clear and, within another twenty minutes, I am graced with creative insights which eluded me while I was sitting at my desk.

moncler outlet sale This particular adventure taught me that you don’t know what you are capable of until you push yourself. I’m not saying that everyone can cheap moncler become the next Tiger Woods, John Lennon, or Albert Einstein. Nonetheless, I believe many people don’t fully tap into their potential because they don’t realize how much unused potential resides within them. With my writing I try not to mentally limit myself with thinking along the lines of, “Oh, I would never be able to write a passably good science fiction novel,” or “I simply couldn’t write a full length moncler coats cheap screenplay.” The truth is, I don’t know whether I can or can’t until I trywhich leads me to my next point.

moncler mens jackets If you are moncler outlet online store unwilling to take moncler outlet online any significant risks, your rewards will be equally diminished. As professional hockey player Wayne Gretzky once said, moncler jackets cheap “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” No aspiring thru hiker can know for absolute certain if he or she will be able to complete his or her thru hike when first beginning. in one continuous effort. In other areas of our lives, it is our moncler jackets canada unwillingness to risk whether a moncler coats sale new relationship, or pursuing additional schooling, or even switching careers which can make our lives smaller than moncler coats for cheap they could be. Certain risks are not worth taking, and I am not writing about these. However, it is important to be striving and even uncomfortable at times because this is how we are able to best change and grow. is “hike your own moncler jackets on sale hike.” This means that you should hike in a way which suits your needs, cheap moncler jackets resources, and personal preferences. For moncler outlet some hikers this meant putting in big mile days so they could relax in town longer than hikers who managed slower and steadier daily miles. Other hikers, myself included, decided that the opportunity to read at night was worth the weight of Official Moncler Outlet carrying a book or two in our backpacks. In our daily lives we are most likely to live a congruent life one which lines up with who we are and what we value if we are able to accept that what we consider a good life may differ considerably from what others deem a life worth living.

moncler sale As displayed in this photograph, the Appalachian Trail is marked by white blazes. Most of these are painted on trees, although some appear discount moncler outlet on rocks. Source

moncler outlet online Finally, on the Appalachian Trail I found how liberating it could be to have a limited number of choices. Considering the abundance of choices available in our society a trip to the grocery store to select a type of cereal alone is a clear reminder of this truth it was a relief to be hiking along with minimal choices to make aside from what to eat, when to rest, where to moncler jackets men camp, and what to write in moncler jackets for women the shelter registers. As a person who isn’t overly fashionable, the fact that I typically wore the same hiking outfit day after day was freeing considering how often I stand in front of my closet now and furrow my brow while trying to determine the moncler outlet ny “best” outfit to moncler coats for men wear for my day’s activities. Last autumn I read Barry Schwartz’s The Paradox of Choice, and many of his observations resonated with me after the limited choices (with accompanying freedom and even joy) I encountered while thru hiking the Appalachian Trail. He writes, “The more options there are, the more if only’s you will be able to generate. And with each if only you generate moncler jackets mens will come a little more regret and a little less satisfaction with the choice you actually made.” On the trail it was hard to get too wrapped up Moncler Factory Outlet in thinking about “if only I had different food in my food bag” or “if only this campsite were nicer” because generally you couldn’t produce additional options. In fact, the limited choices on the trail often led to increased enjoyment because it was easier to be delighted by an extra nice campsite or by the fruit snacks you found in your food bag. Also, visiting town after being on the trail for several days or longer helped me appreciate all the options in town in ways that I find harder to do now that I am back in the so called “real world.”.

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