Failure in Life : Camino de Santiago : Overcoming Failure
What happens when things get tough in your life? When you feel like a failure in life? Do you give up? When I ask you if you give up I’m not talking long-term. I’m thinking about when you have a really tough day. A day you would much rather forget than mull over about how bad it was. You’re likely thing from a single perspective such as a hard day at work.
What happens when that tough day is challenging from a multi-functional perspective—physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually?
A couple of years ago I walked 800 kilometres across northern Spain on the Camino de Santiago. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life and I’m very proud of my accomplishment.
Camino de Santiago : Overcoming Failure, Day 1.
It was my very first day of Camino de Santiago walk that was to become the hardest day of my life and it could easily become a failure in life.
The walk started in St Jean Pied de Port, a small town in the Pyrenees in southern France. The walking route winds its way 25 kilometres into the mountains rising to over 1450 metres above sea level. The path then drops down 500 metres to the beautiful medieval monastery of Roncesvalles.
This is an arduous day’s walk, it’s relentless with no let-up——it’s up, up, up all the way.
On the day I walked, the weather started out as a beautiful day only to change around midday. Not only did I contend with the steepness of the climb, but also140 kilometre per hour gale force winds. Add to the head-on winds heavy intermittent rain and things become critical. At times the wind was so strong, other pilgrims were blown over. I later learned that a woman injured her arm and others were ferried off the mountain after the road was closed.
There’s always a question in times like this of quitting. Normally I would think about quitting but that day, there was nowhere to go. There was nowhere to quit too, only the monastery somewhere ahead.
I’d like to ask you. If you found yourself halfway through a journey or experience like this, what would you do? How strong are you physically and mentally?
More importantly, what internal story would you tell yourself and would your internal story result in a failure in life?
It’s your internal story that gets you though your day. Your internal self speak is what controls whether you’ll have a fantastic day or a gloomy, out-of-touch day.
While I was walking the Camino that day, I could have told myself “I can’t do this, I’m too tired, too fatigued.”. But I don’t ever remember thinking that. I just knew that I had to plug on and get to Roncesvalles, even if I arrived at 10 pm at night (I arrived at 5 pm). As that day panned out failure ceased to be an option. Overcoming failure was the only option.
Just to set the record straight in case you think I’m some special athlete or walker. I’m not, I’m no athlete. I’m over weight and not that fit although prior to the walk I did practice for the Camino de Santiago. As things turned out that day, no amount of practice would have prepared me. This was a total ‘mind’ thing.
You’ll never know when you’re about to have a really tough day because they sneak up on you. You can never prepare for a collection of unforeseen events that will make a day really stressful. What you can do is watch your thought process during that stressful, arduous day.Action Plan for Overcoming Failure
Here’s what you do.
Try saying this….
“Yep, tough stuff; but I can do this; I can think through this, I may not like it, and I’ll do it anyway!”
Say it over and over and over.
Have an awesome day.
Wikipedia and the Camino here.
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Hi Andrew — I enjoyed reading this very much. Congratulations on completing such a difficult journey!
Reading your essay reminded me of the “mind trip” I took 2 years ago when I hiked into the Grand Canyon here in the U.S.
I had trained to do the hike but, in my late 50s, I was mostly sedentary and had never done more than an easy walk in the neighborhood.
My first day was beyond difficult. I thought the heights would make me queasy, but it was the actual step by step descent that made every muscle scream. And short legs were not an advantage with the trail carved into ragged, tall steps. Where those with long legs could make it in a stride, I had to stop at each step to figure out the best way to get down.
Also, heavy rains had washed out a section of our trail leaving us with barely a strip of ground to cross. We inched our way, one by one, across this tiny strip of rock that was fully exposed to a 6,000-foot drop to the bottom. It was the most frightening moment of my life, and after I made it, I sat on a rock and wept. And this was just my first day!
Throughout the 4-day hike to the bottom of the canyon and back out the other side, my thoughts were torturous. “This isn’t a vacation — why did I sign up for this!” And of course thoughts of quitting, whining, and wanting someone to rescue me. I see now, in hindsight, just how difficult I made it on myself.
But what I learned over was beyond compare. I now make it a practice to question my thoughts and beliefs (with great help from The Work by the wonderful Byron Katie), and any time something does feel hard, really hard, I think about the Canyon. By asking whether my thoughts and beliefs are really true, I’ve discovered the space and peace that lay beyond them.
That experience, along with the sheer beauty of the Canyon and the experience of never truly being alone (we hiked the Bright Angel Trail which is so aptly named!), I emerged changed forever.
It was wonderful to read about how you handled your journey…Blessings on you and your work!
Thank you KD. Great story.
Your journey made me giddy thinking about it because I’m not good with heights.
And as we agree, it all comes back to out thoughts…….
Cheers Andrew
I am really pleased to read your journey experience. Especially you walked 800KM. I can,’t imagine a person like your ages can do like that. But sure in this planet many things with mysterious happened. But it is OK I am really appreciate for what you do. Thank you.
Hi Andrew,
How awesome, I never doubted that you would achieve your goal. Keep scaling those hills.
Blessings Helen
Hey Andrew, great article and I enjoyed reading it. I can totally relate to the task of crossing over to Roncevalles, as I believe, we started the same day and yes the wind was blowing strongly.
The camino to Santiago de Compostela is a wondeful but also challanging trip. However, with the right spirit, your spirit, is it possible to have the time of your life.
Andrew, I admire you very much and your accomplishment to reach Santiago and continuing your journey, because it only has just begun. I mean, how great is that? 😉
As far as I am concerned, this jouney has never let me go again and already do i know, from the heart, that my next trip will lead me back to andalucia, perhaps walking to portugal.
It has been a pleasure meeting you Andrew. See ya soon.
Sven
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Hey Andrew, this is really an inspiring story that you have. Lots of lessons to pick from. I enjoy reading your article and was smiling till the end. I hope you got more success coming to you. If you may, I also recommend to try a class for remote viewing. Which I think will also be beneficial when time comes and will be handy. There is a free class that you can check out as well https://intuitivespecialists.com/.
God Bless,
Thanks, Deb. I played with remote sensing a number of years ago and found it wasn’t for me. But I will look at your site. Andrew