Keep On Climbing
“Everything worthwhile is uphill. Sadly, many people have uphill hopes and downhill habits.” ( John Maxwell) He went on to say, “Nothing that is good in life comes easy. And very little that comes easy is good.” We may not like the implications of his statements, but they ring true to me. We want instant coffee, instant porridge, Instagram, and instant success. We want shortcuts on our computer, fast track on our deliveries and the fastest route to our destination. Heaven forbid that the slow vehicle in front of us should add two minutes to our journey.
Virtually anything that has value and purpose requires work to attain it. Effort is required to get what and where you want. Whether it’s a good marriage, a successful career, a healthier, better-looking body, you name it, you must work at it.
“Put differently, anything and everything you desire in life, everything you would like to strive for, is uphill, meaning that the pursuit of it is often challenging, grueling, exhausting, strenuous, and difficult. No person who has reached the pinnacle of excellence ever said, “I have no idea how I got to the top of this mountain. I just woke up one day, and here I was.” Any climb uphill must be deliberate, consistent, and willful. It must be intentional. And the climb also requires tremendous self-discipline, which is essential for a successful life.”
What is at the top of your hill? What new skills would you like to learn? What mark would you like to get on your final exams? What new activities would you like to include in your life? What countries would you like to visit? What career advancements would you like to have? Some of our desires are small hills others are like the Himalayans. Whatever the size of the hill, it’s imperative that you make a choice to start climbing. You must put one foot in front of the other and begin your climb. You will grow and stretch yourself every day.
It takes more than an injection of enthusiasm to get us up the mountain. Before I start the journey there must be some serious Evaluation. 1. What benefit will the result bring to others and me? In other words, who will benefit in what way for how long? 2. How much will the journey cost? What activities am I willing to dispose of to buy time for my climb? 3. What skills do I need to develop to take me to the top?
Furthermore, I must not let presumption stop me from acquiring the Education that I need. This can be formal education or experiential. Formal education brings a foundation of knowledge that helps give me a secure place for my feet. Having the right knowledge can alert me to dangers, advise me of alternatives and provide adaptive skills for the unexpected.
Humility enables me to enlist the counsel of others who have made a similar journey. Their mountain may not be the same, but their experience can bring valuable insight into my journey. Pride keeps me on a course of self-sufficiency and self-determination isolates me from the valuable input from others.
When it comes to reaching the top, we are usually our own worst enemies. We sabotage our own success. Every person possesses within him or her the raw material necessary for manufacturing his or her own defeat. None of us is exempt. Consider these indicators of dysfunction: a drive to succeed, desire to be accepted, irrational fear, a need to be in control, perfectionism, or various compulsions. The compelling drive within us can be an overcompensation for needs that have not been met in our lives and the lies we have believed.
“You are just a dumb blonde.” “You only have half a deck of cards.” “I bet your mom almost died when she saw how ugly you were.” “How could you be so stupid?”
“Why can’t you be smart like your sister?” “What have you done today to deserve to be alive?” These self-defeating lies get planted in the mind by well-meaning people who have no idea of the damage they are initiating. If we are going to succeed we need to stop letting others define our value.
My physical mountain climbing experience is very limited – two small ones that stretch the classification of mountain. Life mountains, now that is a different story. Some of them left me with painful emotional scars. Others were enshrouded with thick fog that left me groping for my path. Others were steep and hard to navigate. All of them taught me valuable life lessons but none of them really prepared me for my present mountain.
At 80 I am facing a mountain of grief – the loss of my beloved wife of 57 years. This mountain has caves you can hide in and nurse self-pity. It has spas where you can rest and ponder the “what ifs” of your past decisions. In fact, there are even loudspeakers that remind you of regretful decisions.
I choose to keep climbing despite the obstacles I encounter. I am choosing to replace lies with truth statements. Rather than wallowing in self-pity I will allow my pain to sensitize me to the pain of others. I will stop saying “what if” and in its place look for valuable life lessons. Is there pain in grief ? YES! Are there days when I have lost my footing? YES! I know one thing! I am not going to stop climbing. I look forward to seeing you at the top.
Duane Harder
