Determination...Sometimes it's Not Enough.

Have you ever been way in over your head? And no matter how hard you try, no matter what time and effort you put in, you aren't going to make it to your destination.

You had been planning for sometime to reach the top of a mountain. You were as prepared as you thought was necessary. The beginning of the hike is as expected. You feel great, which adds to your confidence of reaching your goal. Then half way up, the terrain becomes much more than you had expected. You knew that it would be challenging, that is why you had made the goal of climbing it in the first place. You know you will do what it takes. BRING IT ON! Your goal was to make it to the top, and that is what you came to do. You go over treacherous even death defying areas. After sacrifices proven by scraped knees and sunburned skin you come to a wall that requires climbing gear. You don't have it. No amount of determination, positive attitude, or will to win is going to get you up the wall.

And just like that, rope, ends your destination.

But, you are not one that gives up. You didn't come all this way only to have to go back. Half way was not your goal. Maybe you are as qualified as you had thought. Maybe you aren't what you thought you were. Why didn't you know to bring rope? Going down the mountain is going to be just as hard as coming up, if not harder, because now you are not determined, you are frustrated and consumed with self doubt.

Unfortunately, you understand that the only way to get the rope is to climb down the mountain and come back more prepared with a clear understanding of what is expected.

Some will go down the mountain to never return again. They won't ever get around to getting rope. The difficult climb they took, will have been enough. They will find new mountains to climb. You're not sure if you will return. Maybe you will find another mountain, that would be more rewarding.

At the bottom of the hill, you know you came and gave everything you had. Despite the disappointment you feel you remind yourself....it's just rope.

And like so many other things that get in the way:
Like the girl that lost her arm to a shark...it's just a shark.
The girl that lost her legs to a train...it's just a train.
The farmer that loses his crop to grasshoppers....they're just bugs.

Why should we let things change our path? Sometimes we have no way of knowing what would be necessary to finish our path until we are faced with an obstacle that makes us re evaluate the necessities and further strengthen ourselves.