What's required?

We called it a hike. They called it life.

We hiked The Narrows in Zion National Park this week.

The Narrows at Zion National Park

It’s stunning.
It’s wet.
It’s a test of ankle mobility.
It’s worth it.

Somewhere between navigating slippery rocks and admiring the red rocks, we started talking about what it must’ve been like for pioneers walking this same canyon—hundreds of years ago.

We had goldfish crackers.
Sour gummy worms.
Liquid IV.
Sunscreen and hats.

They had none of that.

And they wouldn’t have called it a hike.
They would’ve called it life.

They walked to survive.
They hunted, foraged, and moved forward—because they had to.

And that’s what we started talking about: how easy it is to say, “I could never do that.”

I don’t think that’s true.

We underestimate what we’re capable of—especially when the moment demands something more from us.

Because when something is required, we find a way.

You may not enjoy it.
You may be wildly uncomfortable.
You may complain the whole way through.

But you’ll do it.
Because humans have always risen to what’s required.

As we hiked, I thought about a quote I once saw:

“It is not enough that we do our best; sometimes we must do what is required.”

Winston Churchill (attributed to him but I couldn’t find a source that confirmed this)

I thought about that as I watched my 11-year-old daughter slog through 12 miles of cold, rushing water. She slid on rocks, trudged through waist-deep currents, and kept going—without shortcuts, without an easy exit.

She did what was required.

I was so proud.

This experience reminded me that when facing a challenge, we shouldn't limit ourselves by focusing on doing our best.

We should ask:

What’s required?

That’s the better question.

Because once you know what’s required, you’ll almost always find that you can.

Keep Asking,

Kyle