August

You've Come Too Far to Give Up Now.

I don't know about you.

Whether your journey has been long, hard, rough, full of twists and turns...

Or short and easy.

Life is too important to be getting derailed and living without focus.

When I took this photo deep in a Caribbean forest, I was venturing to see El Limon, a waterfall. I thought I'd be riding horseback the entire way. However, the pathway was muddy, daunting and I could no longer feel safe with the horse veering close to the edge with sheer dropoffs. I yielded and told my guide I'd just walk the rest of the way. I didn't know how much farther I had to go. But it felt like no matter what the guide told me - yes, I kept asking - it was enough for me to keep going. Or maybe I was just determined to make it. Because I kept remembering the distance back to base camp. It was a physical, mental, and spiritual journey.

On this particular stretch of the journey, the guide recommended I take off my shoes and socks, because we had to cross over to the other side. It was slippery. Yet all along the adventure - because it was definitely that - I had to stop and take in the beauty...the sounds, colors, animals scurrying about, rustling of the leaves, that humidity, the lush vastness of it all and smallness of me...

...while getting my second, third, and 95th wind.

I wanted to quit so many times that I thought up scenarios of maybe a helicopter could come take us back to camp. It definitely crossed my mind of me never being found if I fell off the pathway or the dangerously steep, muddy stairs leading to the waterfall. I traversed the stairs in sandals a local welcomed me to wear for safety.

There's more to my fascinating journey to El Limon. However, it brings me to my motto: never give up. The thing about life is that it's easy to quit and hard to keep going. We must stay focused on goals, fix our mindset, pause when necessary, and be so determined and confident that we won't settle for less than the purpose on our lives.

And yes, we already have a heartbeat that keeps us going - no matter how physically faint it maybe. Here's what made my playlist:

My God is Awesome, Charles Jenkins

I Trust in God, Elevation Worship

I Give Myself Away, William McDowell

It is Well With my Soul, Horatio Spafford and Philip Paul Bliss

Rise Up, Andra Day

Greatest Love of All, Whitney Houston

And check out an awesome neo indie song, Leo Stellium, by Ajiatic, from her album, The Chart Tape, on Spotify and Apple. Her IG is @ajiaticrobatic.

Until next month,

Stefany