You Keep Going Back — And That’s What Makes You Extraordinary 

There’s an old story about three travelers crossing a desert, parched and desperate.
In the distance, they see a high wall. The first climbs it, sees a lush garden inside, and leaps in. The second does the same.

The third climbs up, sees the same beauty — cooling water, shade, fruit — and knows they, too, must go in.
They rest. They drink. They remember what it feels like to breathe again.

And in that remembering, they recall the ones still wandering in the heat.
So they choose to climb back over the wall — carrying the memory of the garden — to show others a way in.

That third traveler is the Bodhisattva — the awakened one who returns.

You are that third traveler.

Every time you show up for one more shift.
Every time you steady your breath before walking into another room, another crisis, another story that will stay with you long after you clock out — you’re climbing back into the desert for someone else.

You do it because your heart won’t let you walk away.
Because you remember what it feels like to be lost, scared, or alone.
Because something in you knows that every act of care, every calm word, every hand you hold, matters.

And that’s what makes you extraordinary.

But extraordinary doesn’t mean invincible.

The truth is, returning again and again comes at a cost. The desert takes something from you each time. The fatigue, the sleeplessness, the emotional residue you can’t wash off — these are not signs of weakness. They’re evidence of your humanity.

The world needs you. But it also needs you whole.

The garden isn’t a reward you earn after saving everyone else.
It’s a place within you — a state of grace you must visit often — so you have something real to bring back.

Every time you pause to breathe, to let yourself be held by stillness, to remember that you too belong to the garden — that’s grace.
And grace regenerates what grit alone can’t.

So yes, you keep going back.
You keep walking into the desert when others would turn away.
That’s what makes you extraordinary.

But remember: even Bodhisattvas rest.
Even they drink from the water before they return.

I’d love to hear your story.
What helps you keep going back — and what do you wish others understood about what it costs?
Leave a comment or DM me directly. I look forward to connecting with you.