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Our day of hiking wasn't off to a good start. The Lada we had rented (an old Soviet-era style of vehicle that you can still find in places like Bulgaria) stubbornly stalled every time it was shifted into gear.
And when it finally did get into gear, it moaned in protest, sputtering a stream of smoke and emitting fumes into the car to make its temper tantrum complete.
We made it a few blocks before admitting defeat - it wouldn't be getting us to the start of the hiking trail we'd planned. But this was real life, and we weren't the kind of people who would just quit. We'd find another way.
Our group of three women quickly regrouped. We combined our female energy and made a new hiking plan right on the spot, and our positive energy quickly returned as a result. I would drive, and we'd hike in a place that none of us had hiked before to hike, but we were all curious to explore.
What we didn't know is that what appeared to be a hiking path on the GPS was somewhat overgrown, to say the least (see the photo below of the "hiking path"). And would remain so for several kilometres of bushwacking through nettles, thistles and juniper bushes. Being ambitious people, we powered on.
I was grateful to have surrounded myself with people who pushed me. And not only did we do it, but we also did it while remaining positive, telling funny and relying on the connection between women that we had to get us through so that we had optimal energy.
But it didn't end there. After the arduous ascent to the first peak, in which the path to success was obscure at best, we descended into an unmarked boulder field, only relying on our GPSs with varying degrees of accuracy - i.e. sometimes not so accurate.
Only to find that we'd then have to hike up another steep boulder field to a ridge after an already long day to return to the trailhead. Still, we remained positive, undeterred
We also didn't anticipate that the 6-hour hike we'd planned take us closer to 8 hours with a ton more elevation gain.
It was a day that easily could have resulted in arguments over which way the trail was and frustration of how much longer it took than planned or how much more tiring it was after bushwacking for several kilometres.
Instead, it was a great day and, despite the challenges, for the most part, enjoyable. Why?
Because when you surround yourself with people who push you and you do the same for them, you find a way to not only get through it but to create a new level of intimacy and a deeper connection.
Why It's Important to Surround Yourself with People Who Push You
Surrounding yourself with like-minded people, the types of people who are positive people both on and off the mountain, is one of the single most important decisions you make.
The circle of people who you surround yourself with has a huge impact, either positively or negatively, on your life.
Our two-peak hiking day when nothing went according to plan with other hiking buddies could have quickly become a disaster with all the challenges it brought.
"Surround yourself with people who push you to do better and be better. No drama or negativity. Just higher goals and higher motivation. Good times and positive energy. No jealousy or hate. Just bringing out the absolute best in each other." Warren Buffet
But when you surround yourself with people who push you and make you happy, le, you turn challenges into memorable adventures that bring you closer.
Hiking buddies who cooperate and collaborate - not who insist that they're right and think they're the smartest person.
Inspiring people who focus on the fun adventure of finding the way and, in our case, sometimes making our own trail.
And doing it with a smile on our faces instead of negative people who complain about the lack of trail markings.
The kinds of people who stay positive and, rather than whining about how long it's taking, instead focus on the fun of exploring a new area with different viewpoints and mountains to conquer.
Amazing people who focus on the joy of checking off two new peaks in the list of the 90 peaks 2500m or higher to climb in Pirin National Park in Bulgaria.
The most successful people surround themselves with people who push them and who are motivated people like themselves. People who are smarter than they are. They know that having the right community of people increases their chances of success.
Surrounding yourself with the right people changes everything.
Whether that's getting to a peak while hiking or in other areas of life, you want the type of people who, instead of focusing on getting stung by nettles for several hours, will focus on the fun of the adventure both on and off the trail.
Make someone's day by sharing this with someone who's the type of person you want to surround yourself with to push you, make you happy or for another reason.
