Never Give Up

Today was filled with so much joy. I had woken up after a very late night of talking with new friends to an upset stomach. I had wanted to go back to sleep after breakfast, but my body wasn’t having it. Then, opportunity knocked on my door—well, actually it was my friend Joe asking if I wanted to go on a hike. Agreeing to go was one of the best decisions of my life thus far.

We left around 11am to find a waterfall. It was a hike indeed. I had carelessly packed my tennis shoes in my suitcase back in New Delhi, so my foot attire was a pair of Walmart strappy sandals—not ideal hiking gear. However, everything that happened on this adventure was well worth the exhaustion and tired feet. Today I found the real me. There was something about this waterfall that made every little problem running in the back of my head disappear. I dove into the water. I didn’t care that it was bone chillingly cold or that I’d have to spend the hour walk back entirely soaked. I had the time of my life. The most wondrous part of this hike was the trip down the mountain. We decided not to take the trail which we had come up, but instead we walked down the rocks and water. This water was crystal clear. Friendly goats stood on either side of the river bank, and of course I had to pet them. The moment I pet one, the rest came over for their equal share of attention.

Today I felt one with my inner child. I was nimble and graceful while trekking the rocks and wading through the stream. I found several coves to hide in. The view of the mountains brought tears of joy to my eyes. Everything seemed new and fresh.

Now, let me explain my reasoning behind the title of this post. Yesterday I had let other people’s negativity bring me down to their level. I was bitter and angry and ended up hurting myself (I hit my head rather hard on the end of my bed whilst attempting to lay back as I cursed the universe). I let other people dictate how I felt about myself. This morning when I woke up I hadn’t looked at it as a new beginning. I started off with a shame cycle and a negative outlook. Everything changed once we reached the waterfall. We were the first ones in the water, and once we got in so did everyone else. Smiles were shared all around and everyone was modeling silly poses for pictures. When we were walking back down the mountain, we found a rock with the phrase “Never Give Up” painted on it. Joe was taking candid photos and happened to catch one of me midst falling and laughing at myself. I realized that this photo was representative of my journey. I have fallen an abundance of times. While at times it takes me a little longer than others, I have yet failed to get back up. I have fought tooth and nail to get to where I am now. The amount of joy and freedom I felt on this two hour hike made me realize that everything has truly been worth it. It felt as if when I entered the water all of my worries had been washed away.

 

The Dalai Lama XIV said this wonderful poem below:

“NEVER GIVE UP
No matter what is going on
Never give up
Develop the heart
Too much energy in your country
Is spent developing the mind
Instead of the heart
Be compassionate
Not just to your friends
But to everyone
Be compassionate
Work for peace
In your heart and in the world
Work for peace
And I say again
Never give up
No matter what is going on around you
Never give up.”

I found this poem later in the evening on a scroll for 70 rupees (a little over one American dollar). I treated myself to it as a simple reminder to NEVER give up. The rest of my day was just as enlightening. I don’t remember the last time I felt this alive. I have written about my other enlightening experiences, but this surpasses them all. I felt the life come back into my eyes. I felt free.