“OK gentlemen, let’s do this! It’s time to go,” I exclaimed.

Six men and I stood at the bank of the Sarria river about to embark on the Hike of a Lifetime on the Camino de Santiago in Spain. The sky was covered in clouds as the morning fog was lifting from the small city of Sarria.  We were excited for this adventure, and at the same time intimidated and curious as to what this adventure was in front of us.  Our hike would take 6 days as we covered 72 miles passing through the beauty of Northern Spain.

We all took our first step, walking along the river, on to the main street of Sarria.  We passed through narrow streets and a cathedral, one of many we would see along the way.  As we walked out of town, we crossed a set of train tracks, and found the Camino trail.  Minutes turned to hours.  3 hours in we stopped for coffee and a stretch break at a small side of the road café. A few hours later we stopped at a cathedral for a quick tour and rest.  After many hours and many miles, we arrived to the city of Portomarin.  

Our first day of hiking was daunting.  One of our group members was met with knee issues and blisters.  We quickly realized that the adventure in front of us would bring beauty and connection, as well as challenges and unknowns.  Day 1, turned to day 2.  Day 2 quickly turned into day 3, and so on and so forth.

On our final day, as we stood at the Monte de Goza looking into the distance at our finish line, the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, we all reflected on the fact that this journey was almost complete.  We were amazed and inspired by the stories shared, challenges discussed, breakthroughs made and lifetime bonds we would all now have together.  We reflected on the fact that we had just taken 200,000 steps and spent 6 uninterrupted days journeying through the culture, food and scenery of Spain.  More importantly we dug deep, as men, into each other’s lives, bringing each other inspiration, encouragement and deep value. 

As we sat around the dinner table on our last evening together in Santiago, we marveled that the journey that at first seemed daunting, intimidating and overwhelming, started just like any journey.  It began with the first step; and step by step, hour by hour, the days went by and before we knew it, the journey was complete.

As you venture daily into life, leadership and business, remember that the days can seem long but the years are short. As you journey, be sure to enjoy, embrace and be thankful every step of the way. 

Whatever journey you have in front of you, take that first step.  Do it with people you love and care about, and appreciate every single step. 

Remember 3 things:

1. I love you.
2. I believe in you. 
3. You’ve got this.

Now go get it!

If you are interested in the other lessons learned on the camino, click here to start the camino blog series.

Be sure to click here and download all my free resources for your life, leadership and business journey.