This evening, I climbed a hill on my bicycle.
In the greater scheme of things, climbing a hill on a bicycle is of little import or significance. For that matter, in the realm of cycling, climbing a hill is a rather commonplace and mundane activity. Still, for myself, I’ve reached a milestone. The hill in question is one I’ve avoided for years because of its length and steepness. In past attempts, I’d get about halfway up, step off the bike and walk to the crest. Not today. Today I made it all the way up without stopping even though, at that point, I was already 16 miles into the ride.
Sometimes the oppressive weight of all the challenges life presents can crush and obliterate the importance and necessity of recognizing those times when we achieve a goal we’ve set, no matter how small or insignificant those goals may seem at any given point in time. Small victories can lead to larger victories (“A journey of a thousand li starts with a single step.” – Lao Tze). Yes, a platitude, perhaps, but with every ride I undertake, I take another step along my journey. And another platitude: while I may never reach my ultimate goal, the journey is what matters.
Life is good.