This is Part Four of my Colorado Mountain Pilgrimage series — a journey into grief, choice, self-worth, and awakening the medicine within. Each section is its own chapter. Start with Part One here, Part Two here, and Part Three here to follow the story from the beginning. 

The Whisper in the Pines

At 12,000 feet, the world softens.

The noise of life → the lists, the expectations, the endless hum of “not enough” — falls quiet, replaced by the steady rhythm of my boots on the trail and the thin mountain air filling my lungs.

I thought I had come here to prove something.

That I was strong enough.

Resilient enough.

Enough, period.

⛰️ But the mountain... 

[ancient, patient, and unbothered by my trying to prove myself] 

met my questions with silence and a single truth, whispered through the sway of the Aspens:

Your worth isn’t out there.

It’s in your heart. 

The Illusion of Proving

For so long, I believed I had to earn my worth...

Through achievements 🏊‍♀️🚴‍♀️🏃🏼‍♀️.

Through the validation of others.

Through molding myself into the version of me that I thought the world wanted to see.

👇🏻

But as I climbed, step after step, my breath ebbing and flowing with the altitude — I felt the mountain showing me the illusion of the weight of trying to prove my worth.

☀️ And when the sun kissed the ridgeline, the mountain whispered back:

You are not here to prove. You are here to embody — to walk as the medicine you already are.

The Mountain as Mirror

There’s something about the stillness up there.

• The way the wind carries your desires.
• The way the silence reflects back everything you’ve tried to outrun.
• The way the earth beneath your feet holds you steady, no matter how heavy your pack feels.

The mountain mirrored back to me what I had buried beneath years of trying to prove myself:

> That my worth is not transactional.

> Not conditional.

> Not something I have to earn or beg for.

It’s been inside me all along.

Three Ways I Learned to Anchor Into My Worth

1️⃣ I stopped outsourcing my value. 

When I caught myself searching for approval outside of me, I paused. Instead, I asked: What feels true to me right now? 

2️⃣ I celebrated the quiet wins. 

Every boundary honored. Every brave choice. Every moment I whispered yes to myself instead of no. Celebration builds trust, one breath at a time.

3️⃣ I practiced forgiveness. 

For the versions of me that didn’t know better. For the times I abandoned myself. Because forgiveness is what clears the darkness so your energy can return home.

My Breath as My Anchor

Focusing on my Breath carried me up that mountain.

Each inhale reminded me: I'm one step closer to my truth.

Each exhale reminded me: That I'm one breath deeper into my soul.

It was in those moments — where the trail grew steep — that my breath anchored me, guiding me back to my own truth.

The Truth About Self-Worth

Your self-worth is non-negotiationable.

It isn’t a currency to be traded. 💵

It is your birthright!  Your soul’s quiet...unwavering TRUTH.

The mountain didn’t give me anything I didn’t already have.

It simply held up a mirror and reminded me:

I was never lost.

I was never broken.

I’ve been whole all along.

And so have you.

Your Invitation

If you’ve been searching for your worth in the noise of the world — in titles, in relationships, in the endless lists of “shoulds” — let this be your reminder:

   🌿 Your worth isn’t out there.

🫁 It’s in the quiet knowing within you.

🌙 Let this be your reminder to rise, to embody your truth and to awaken the medicine within.

[Here are 3 things I did to anchor into my worth]