🗺️ People and Pursuits
By now, Alex has found his compass. He knows what direction feels right in his bones—kindness, courage, curiosity. But as he and Maya stand at the edge of a dense, unfamiliar woodland, it’s time to ask a new question: Where are we headed—and who’s walking with us?
In the HOPE journey, values provide direction, but people and pursuits give the terrain its shape. These are the meaningful goals that call us forward—the mountain peaks on the horizon—and the fellow hikers who make the journey worthwhile. They are the reasons we rise after falling and the fire that fuels our longest climbs.
🧑🤝🧑 People: Your Trail Companions
Some people walk with us for miles; others cross paths briefly and leave a mark. Maya asks Alex to imagine his trail as a winding network of switchbacks, bridges, and ridgelines. “Who’s on the path beside you?” she asks. “Who waits at the lookout? Who’s helped you out of a muddy ditch?”
The people who matter most—family, friends, mentors, even pets—don’t just offer support. They shape the terrain. A friend can be the shelter when the weather turns. A sibling might be the steady rhythm beside you when the incline gets tough. And sometimes, the absence of someone we love is the ravine we must learn to cross.
🎯 Pursuits: The Landmarks You Strive Toward
As they hike, Maya points out distant features on the horizon: a stone tower, a field of wildflowers, a peaceful lake. “Each of these,” she says, “is a pursuit. A goal you care about. Some are near. Others might take years. But all of them are worth naming.”
Pursuits might include:
- 🧗♂️ In Work or Study: Finishing a qualification, launching a creative project, or learning how to focus under pressure.
- 🎮 In Play or Leisure: Mastering a new game, building something from scratch, exploring new hobbies.
- 🧘 In Health or Growth: Establishing routines, managing overwhelm, or becoming more self-aware.
- 💞 In Love or Relationships: Building closeness with a parent, being a loyal friend, or learning to trust again.
What gives these goals meaning isn’t their size—it’s the values behind them. A hike becomes more than exercise when it’s about courage. A side job becomes part of a bigger mission when it reflects independence or service.
🌳 Values Are the Roots, Goals Are the Canopy
Maya kneels beside a sapling and presses her hand to its roots. “Sometimes,” she says, “the top of the tree gets snapped in a storm. But if the roots are strong, it grows back—maybe even stronger.”
This is how values protect us. When a goal falls through—like failing a course or losing a friendship—values let us replant. The goal of getting into medical school might be dashed, but the value of helping others can still be lived through volunteering or being a listening ear.
🔦 Questions for Mapping Meaning
As the path flattens into a reflective clearing, Maya shares these prompts to help Alex name what matters most:
- “In each area of life—work, play, health, love—what goals light your fire?”
- “Who makes your pack feel lighter?”
- “What values do you want to embody in these pursuits and relationships?”
- “When a goal feels out of reach, how else might you live the values behind it?”
Together, they sketch a map of Alex’s personal terrain—labelling peaks, trails, and companions with sticky notes in his journal.
🥾 Sometimes the Trail Washes Out
Not every goal is reached. Not every person stays. But with values as your root system, you can reroute your path. You might not reach the lookout you imagined—but there are still other ridgelines to climb. The value of growth can be lived even in grief. The value of loyalty can show up in new friendships. This is what gives the terrain its texture: not just where you’re going, but how you walk.
As they pack up to continue the journey, Maya smiles. “Next,” she says, “we’ll explore how to take small steps that actually move you forward, even when the trail disappears.”
