As an adventure guide, I constantly have participants that desire those mountaintop views. That breathtaking landscape that holds so much beauty and awe that it often times draws tears to the eye of the beholder. The adversity that one faces to reach the top often fades away once someone steps onto that peak. Its a powerful moment when one reaches their goal and it empowers individuals to see that they truly are capable of achieving anything they set their mind to. But, thats not what I am here to talk about in this post; where the true growth and empowerment lies is in the journey along the way.
The best way for us to see this reality is by looking at mountain ecology. At the top of the peak there is often no foliage or diversity in the landscape. It usually a pretty consistent environment with very little life. Where is the life you ask? It lies in the valleys. These biodiverse ecosystems are full of rivers, fauna and foliage that are thriving in a symbiotic relationship. These valleys are also where we find the most challenge as mountaineers. There is so much unknown in these regions of the mountain until you dive into the hike. Yes you can prepare and gain knowledge about what to anticipate but it isn’t until your boots step foot on that soil that you truly know what lies ahead of you. Weather conditions, trail damage, crossing paths with potentially dangerous animals, finding appropriate campsites; the list can go on and on when it comes to challenges one faces when reaching a summit. This is often times when individuals and groups find themselves disagreeing on how to achieve their mutual goals as well as pushing themselves in ways they never have before. The amount of grit that it takes to keep going and not give up is what attracts so many to pursue the field of mountaineering. The journey is long, exhausting and, at times, extremely difficult but as they get closer to the peak they unearth an inner warrior that is determined to not give up until the goal is reached.
This is exactly what we should emulate in our everyday lives. Yes we should strive to reach our goals but we should also be aware of what the journey does to and for us from start to finish. Growth doesn’t really happen when we are in a place of comfort and peace. Growth happens when we are in the valley of our lives; fighting for the end results, pushing ourselves outside of our comfort zones and embracing new awareness of our surroundings and ourselves. This where we learn adaptation, mindfulness, self discipline and love of self. This is the space where true magic lies. Achieving our goals have their own form of bliss when we reach them but we cannot lose sight of what we went through to get there or how incredible we are for making it to the top. Moments of struggle, hardship and adversity cannot be forgotten because, in those very moments, your personal power ignites. A climber by the name of J.B. Tribout says this, ”I think that drive and mental strength are the factors that distinguish ordinary from extraordinary achievements. It is not the physically strongest climbers who win, but rather the mentally strongest.” So I leave you with this question, do you want your life to be ordinary or extraordinary?