If you regularly follow Essential Hope or Hope Images, you will know I have spent the last couple of weeks in Tasmania with family. Tasmania is a beautiful state, and there are so many incredible things to see. Each time I visit, I seem to come back with a longer list of must-sees than the time before.

This time round we visited Wineglass Bay. Wineglass Bay is on the East Coast and was definitely on my bucket list. We quickly discovered that sometimes the internet and the signs in the area don't quite match up. We researched the trip, and the information suggested a hike up to the lookout with a moderately steep walk down to the beach and then a twenty-minute walk along the beach.

I am the oldest and least fit of my group so when we got there and the signs described a steep climb to the lookout recommending moderate fitness levels, I started to feel the familiar 'I can't do this' feeling. You know the one when you want something, but it all just seems too hard. I decided I was going to fight it and keep going - and I made it to the lookout. The views were incredible, and the bay was stunning. The next thing was to get down to the beach.

There was a warning sign before the steps down to the beach, saying a multitude of things that were not helping my 'I can't do this' feeling, such as; bottled water was needed (I had none), it recommended experienced bushwalkers only (not me), and also warned that there were over 1000 steps down to the beach (1000 steps, people!). The next bit of information warned that there was one way down and one way up. It suggested that if you did not have at least moderate fitness to not go down to the beach.

My 17 year old looked at me and asked if I would be okay. While my mouth said yes, my brain was playing a clip of me being rescued on the news. I mean, 1000 steps is a lot of steps. I started to think about the absolute worst thing that could happen, and I have a heck of an imagination. Before my mind was done with the scenario, I had to be airlifted from the beach, had a heart attack on the stairs, and just decided to move into a cave that I found somewhere along the path. This was all before I had even started down the steps.

I had to make a choice. I had to trust the fact that I was physically capable of completing this climb. I had to make a choice that the goal was worth the discomfort caused to achieve it. I had to make a choice to get control of my mind, imagination, and fear, and not let it control me. I had to choose to continue on the journey no matter how hard it got, because the prize waiting at the end was worth it.

And guess what? I made it to the beach. I got down the 1000 steps, along a path, and onto the sand. Then, I climbed over some rocks and went exploring with my daughter and my nephew and saw starfish in rockpools. We had limited time on the beach but I made the most of it. I took some photos, I witnessed a proposal and I loved every single thing about Wineglass Bay. The water was the most incredible aqua colour and the sand a pristine white. The rocks were orange and the undertow was like nothing I have ever witnessed.

Once we had finished on the beach, we climbed back up the 1000 stairs. Was it easy? No, it wasn't. At one point, a random guy coming up behind me wanted to order an uber, and I thought it was such a great plan, I offered to go halves with him. Did we have to have breaks along the way? Yes, we did. Would I do it again? Yes, I would. 1000 times over I would do it again.

I had such a fight in my head to believe that I could do the climb. There are so many times in our lives when we defeat ourselves in our minds before we even start the journey. This place, Wineglass Bay, was one of my favourite places on our trip, as much for the beauty of the area, and for the sense of achievement I felt in pushing through when I doubted myself.

2 Timothy 1:7 says, 'For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind.'

It is amazing what we can achieve when we truly apply that in our lives.