"I feel like I've turned the corner."
That's a common phrase. I think most of us have probably said it at some point in time. It means that we feel like things are going to get better. We've gotten over the hump. A rough season is behind us.
You know what makes a literal mockery out of that statement? Climbing out of the Grand Canyon.
You see, there are no elevators or escalators in the Grand Canyon and stairs only make cameo appearances. That's an obvious statement, but you don't truly appreciate the gravity of it until you realize that you must climb thousands of feet without any of those luxuries.
The steepest climbs are accomplished by switchbacks. These trails wind back and forth up the canyon walls. When you get to the top of one arduous portion, you turn the corner...and then you're facing down another climb. Turning the corner when you climb out of the Grand Canyon does mean that you're getting somewhere, but it does not mean the terrain is going to ease up on you. Why would it? You're still climbing! Of course, it won't magically become easy.
New Year's Day is a time in which many of us decide that we're going to turn the corner. Even though we can just as easily start new chapters of our lives on a random Tuesday in February, the turning of the calendar is an easy signpost for change. This year is going to be better than the last. This year I'm going to get my crap together.
But the reality is closer to a switchback. We turn the corner on a new year and it's still an uphill climb. There is still difficult terrain ahead. There are still rocks over which you can stumble. The sun is still going to beat down upon you.
Here's the good news. Hiking the Grand Canyon was one of the coolest adventures on which I have ever been. EA and I are going to do it again with our kids when they are old enough. And even though climbing out was a struggle to the very end, each corner turned meant something. Though the path was still demanding, there were new vistas. The scenery below us was majestic. Beautiful. Breathtaking. We kept climbing higher and higher and were stunned by how far we had come.
There is nothing wrong with making resolutions and seeking to make 2016 different. I'll probably do some of the same. But the most important thing as you start up another leg of this switchback is that you just keep going. Keep climbing. It is going to be difficult, but you are getting somewhere. You are going to see some amazing things. Sure maybe you need to drop things weighing you down. Maybe you need to climb with some new companions. Maybe you need to rest and take in the view for a moment.
Keep climbing. 2016 will not be without its challenges. You may feel like you turn a thousand corners and still keep facing steep paths. I know I've felt like that the last couple of years. But keep climbing and hold on to the amazing things you see this year.