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Lessons from the Top of the World

Guest post by: Jim Stovall

Article Overview: Recently, I have been reading quite a bit about expeditions on Mount Everest. I am intrigued by the fact that so many people over the years have been driven to climb the tallest mountain on earth and stand on the top of the world. While studying the expeditions, I have been amazed at how much time, preparation, and energy goes into getting to the mountain with all of the equipment necessary to make the climb and to set up each of the base camps along the route. An expedition is literally years in the planning stage and months in the preparation stage before an attempt can be made on the summit.

Lessons from the Top of the World

Recently, I have been reading quite a bit about expeditions on Mount Everest. I am intrigued by the fact that so many people over the years have been driven to climb the tallest mountain on earth and stand on the top of the world.

While studying the expeditions, I have been amazed at how much time, preparation, and energy goes into getting to the mountain with all of the equipment necessary to make the climb and to set up each of the base camps along the route. An expedition is literally years in the planning stage and months in the preparation stage before an attempt can be made on the summit. Then, if the weather is good, the conditions are right, and there are no major accidents, a handful of members from the expedition will have a chance to make it to the top. Out of dozens of climbers who begin the journey, only a few will even have the opportunity on the last day to stand on the top of the world.

On many expeditions, through no fault of their own, all of the climbers return home without even a glimpse of the summit. But at best, people plan for years and work for months to stand for a few moments at the pinnacle.

Our lives and our successes are much the same. No matter what your goal or objective may be, you will spend much more time in its pursuit than you will enjoying your success. For this reason, we must enjoy the journey.

If we examine the way we live our lives, we invest our days pursuing milestones along the route to our personal summit. The milestones we reach are not really a part of our daily life. They are simply points along the way where we measure our progress. Our life is lived in the journey and in the climb toward the top. It is ultimately sad to see individuals pursuing a goal they think they want while they are enduring the personal torture of the pursuit.

If you don't enjoy the journey, there is no destination worth the effort. If you enjoy every step along the way, you will find your moment on the top of the world to be a time of reflection on the wonderful experience you had getting there.

Invest your days in pursuit of a worthwhile summit, but enjoy each day of the climb.

Today's the day!

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Article Tags: achieve, goals, Jim Stovall, Mount Everest



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