There’s a lot of 10 year posts going around and this got me thinking about how much can change in a decade!For me, the last 10 years have brought many highs and many challenges.
I graduated from my Masters degree.
I climbed my first munro (Scottish mountain).
I bought my first flat with someone then moved on and bought my first flat solo.
I tried parasailing and water skiing (it didn’t go well I tore my hamstring so badly after 5 mins I wasn’t allowed to walk on my leg for 2 months!)
I did my first ever long distance walk (the West Highland Way from Glasgow to Fort William).
I did my first wild camp which was also my first solo wild camp.
I graduated with my Postgraduate Diploma and opened my Private Practice, Cognitive Vitality.
There were moments I felt weak – mentally and physically. Those are my proudest moments because I never gave up. Those are the moments that define you. It’s easy to succeed when life is going to plan. When you get hit by an unexpected curveball, that’s when it matters.
Along the way I’ve made some lifelong friends and learned some very important life lessons.
Walking up the cobbler (a scottish hill) 7 months after major surgery I learned that to get to the top, all you need to do is keep putting one foot in front of the other. No matter how long it takes, no matter how tired you are, one foot in front of the other will get you to your destination.
Taking a day trip over to the isle of Bute and climbing an unknown hill on my own I was feeling way out of my comfort zone. I kept wondering if I was lost and where had I left my sanity! I got to the top and could have cried with happiness. It was one of the smallest hills I’ve done but that day I left the hill top a more confident and courageous individual.
Getting to the top of Reither Spitze was one of the most rewarding walks I’ve ever done. It showed me that all the work I’d done for a year getting fitter really paid off.
The day I decided to do my first wild camp was raining and windy. Everyone thought I was mad! But I knew it was the right time for me so off I went. I woke up in the morning to the most beautiful sunrise – nothing could beat that memory. I had done it. On my own. Survived! And loved every minute of it.
Looking back, each event challenged me in different ways, making me into the person I am today.
2020 awaits!
What will the next 10 years bring…I look forward to finding out!
Good luck! Contact me if you need support or guidance.
Written by Julia Donald at Cognitive Vitality Psychotherapy in Inverness.