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1 " We had created space for the trail providing. It wasn’t just that we were getting offers of help from strangers We were in a place where we were willing to accept them "
― Ben Crawford , 2,000 Miles Together: The Story of the Largest Family to Hike the Appalachian Trail
2 " There are only three options for black sheep: live authentically and get kicked out of the community, have the courage to move out on your own and rebuild from scratch, or hide your true self and desperately try to fit in (which you never will). "
3 " Friends would hear our plans and say, ‘Oh, we tried camping ten years ago. It was pouring ran, we got soaked, and we’ve never gone back. It was a disaster.’ We felt like they were asking the wrong question; they’d based their evaluation on whether or not the weekend was comfortable. From that perspective, the poor weather and planning certainly made it a disaster. But if they were to instead ask themselves, Was this weekend a moment in our best story? Then the fact that they were still talking about the experience ten years later indicated that it had the type of disruptive potential that all good stories are made of. "
4 " The trail will only provide if you accept its offer. All of it. You must leave home. You must be broken. It will cost you your entire life as you know it. And then, and only then, can you receive "
5 " The trail will only provide if you accept its offer. All of it. You must leave home. You must be broken. It will cost you your entire life as you know it. And then, and only then, can you receive. What you receive will be far greater than anything you had or anything you lost. It will change you. It might even heal you. "
6 " when someone doesn’t feel valued or heard, their desire to participate in a job or relationship disappears. "
7 " Hike your own hike. "
8 " Occasionally, it was hard to watch them not measure up to our adult standards, but that discomfort was our problem, not theirs. "
9 " Never quit on a bad day. "
10 " you don’t need to be rich to care for people. You only need to be creative and willing to meet them where they’re at. "
11 " Ignore the outside voices telling you you're doing it wrong; there is no "wrong." But also watch out for wanting to fit in so badly that you start hiking someone else's hike "
12 " The problem isn’t that safety is bad—the problem is that we prioritize it in a way that the fear monopolizes our minds and keeps us from considering other values and goals. "
13 " Safety makes a great passenger, but a terrible leader. "
14 " Maybe the lack of opportunities today's kids are presented with to prove their courage is the real reason parents have such a low opinion of their own children's bravery and abilities. "
15 " I was able to see Eden’s expression as a gift and was grateful she’d shared her disappointment with us. It allowed us all to know her better. We could all identify with a time when we felt unappreciated or unrecognized for our hard work. Eden trusted us with her feelings and allowed us that opportunity. "
16 " Adventure is one of the best tools to build relationships (...) in order to find adventure, you need to leave safety behind. "
17 " Just because something is true does not mean it is helpful "
18 " If we were to live our lives in a way that tells the best possible story, how would we live? "
19 " We were a team, and a good team pushes its individual members to explore their capacities and develop their talents "
20 " When you think of yourself as an employee, a boss, or a student, you prioritise elements that prop up those identities and push aside the things you really need in life, like relationships "
