You know that feeling? When you join something new, maybe a trip, a project, whatever, and you’ve got this nagging voice saying you’re the weak link? That you’re the one who’s going to ruin the tour for everyone else. Yeah, I know that feeling well.
Reminds me of this time, years back, I decided to join this hiking group. Bunch of seasoned folks, knew all the trails, had all the fancy gear. Me? I had decent boots and a water bottle that probably leaked. They were planning this tough climb up Mount S._____ (don’t want to name names, not the point). It was supposed to be this big deal, a full-day thing, pretty strenuous.
So, I signed up. Why? Dunno, maybe I felt like I needed to prove something, mostly to myself I guess. The week before, I was a mess. I tried to get prepared, you know?
- Went for a few walks, pretending they were steep hills.
- Bought some energy bars that tasted like cardboard.
- Packed my bag about ten times, trying to make it look like I knew what I was doing.
Honestly, I spent more time worrying than actually training. Every time they discussed the plan in the group chat, my stomach just sank. I pictured myself lagging miles behind, twisting an ankle, making everyone wait, forcing them to turn back early. Just completely ruining their big day out.
The morning of the hike, I almost bailed. Seriously considered faking a sudden illness. But I dragged myself out of bed and went. The first hour was okay, mostly flat. But then the incline started. And boy, did it start. Pretty soon, I was huffing and puffing. The group was patient, really nice actually, kept saying “take your time”. But you know how it is. You feel like you’re holding everyone up, even if they say you’re not.
Then came this tricky part, a bit of a scramble over some rocks. Not super dangerous, but you needed decent footing. I was so focused on not messing up, on not slipping and causing a scene, that I wasn’t really looking where the main path went. I followed the person in front of me, who, turns out, was also a bit unsure. We ended up slightly off the main trail. Not lost, just… on a harder bit.
The group leader noticed after a few minutes. He wasn’t mad, just called us back. But in that moment, I thought, “This is it. I’ve done it. Delayed everyone, maybe got us into a tricky spot.” My face was burning. I felt like a total idiot. Definitely ruining the tour now.
But here’s the thing. It wasn’t a big deal. We rejoined the main path easily. Took maybe five extra minutes. Nobody cared. The leader just clapped me on the shoulder and said, “Happens to everyone, just keep your eyes peeled.” The rest of the climb was tough, yeah, I was slow. But I made it to the top. Didn’t collapse, didn’t need rescuing.
Coming down was easier. And honestly? That little detour, that moment of thinking I’d screwed up? It kinda broke the tension for me. After that, I stopped worrying so much about ruining things and just focused on putting one foot in front of the other. Ended up having a decent time, surprisingly.
It wasn’t some life-changing epiphany, don’t get me wrong. But it taught me something practical. Sometimes, the biggest obstacle is just that voice in your head telling you you’re gonna fail, that you’ll ruin it for others. Usually, people are more understanding than you think. And sometimes, messing up a little bit isn’t the end of the world. You just get back on track and keep going. The tour goes on.