March Forth

Six years ago today, on March 4, 2019, I completed walking the entire length of New Zealand. My feet – as well as a canoe, a kayak and a bike – took me 3,000 kilometers on “Te Araroa” (the long pathway) plus a few side-trips miles climbing mountains, detouring on a few ‘Great Walks’ and even adding a third island to the journey.

I know it sounds cliche, but for me this thru-hike was less about the achievement than about the discovery of what would happen to my body, mind and spirit on a quest this monumental.

Every part of me was tested as I slogged through ceaseless mud, dodged waves on long stretches of beach, crunched over volcanic detritus and climbed lonely windswept passes.

Truly, it one of the best things I’ve done in my life.

Do It Now

I walked Te Araroa in my early 50’s, taking a leave of absence from my radio career to fit this in before I got too old and creaky.

And credit for making it happen goes to three words from the positive mental attitude world.

I learned these word when I was a student at Interlochen Arts Academy. One of our benefactors was a man named W. Clement Stone. He would make an annual trip to the school each fall to talk directly to us students and impart the wisdom he’d gleaned through his life, amassing millions as a self-made business man.

W. Clement Stone’s life was a true rags-to-riches story and he credits his success to the power of positive thinking. Now we were just teenagers and couldn’t help but laugh at his pencil-thin mustache and oversized bow tie. 

Still, one of his mantras stuck with me: “Do it now!”

Stone’s belief was that by saying “Do it now!” to ourselves over and over, we could break the cycle of negative thinking, By developing a sense of urgency, we are able to access the power within us to push ahead with our goals.

So in dreaming about Te Aroroa with absolutely no idea how I’d make it happen,  I began reciting Stone’s mantra. “Do it now!”

Read Next: Don’t Dream. Do.

Pursue your dreams with gusto

And a funny thing happened. Simply saying the words, realigned me into laser focus, It was as if I’d cleared away the cobwebs and the path showed itself. 

That’s not to say it didn’t take planning and lots of creative thinking to overcome obstacles along the way. 

But suddenly there was synchronicity in my world. People appeared out of nowhere introducing me to friends and family in New Zealand. A supporter encouraged me to write and record and helped finance the journey. I was able to take a leave from my job but stll be covered by company health insurance. The list goes on. 

If you are someone who puts off for tomorrow what you could have done today, here are a few more words from wise, old W. Clement Stone, ones that helped me do one of the most important things of my life. 

“No matter how carefully you plan your goals they will never be more than pipe dreams unless you pursue them with gusto.”

How about you?

At the very least, taking action will foster some interesting experiences and you’ll find yourself somewhere totally new.