Mountain Climbers

“Climbing mount everest is not a straight up the mountain climb.” – Woman Mountain Climber & Speaker (2011 Chick-Fil-A Leadercast Conference)

I wish I remembered her name.  This was news to me.  I always thought climbing Mount Everest was up, up, and up.  It’s not.  It’s up, then down, then up, then down, then further up, and then all the way back down, and continue this pattern until the top, wait like what?!  Why?!

Your body has to get use to the changes and the pressure.  No wonder it can take two months, and let us not forget it’s cold the entire time! At times it’s scary, discouraging, fun, and exhilarating.  A lot of energy, preparation, innovation, faith, and hard work to climb one mountain.

Making changes in our lives isn’t easy, it’s intentional decision making, from one decision to the next, failing, learning and trying again.

I have a love hate relationship with the saying…

“If you want something you’ve never had, you must do what you’ve  never done.” – Thomas Jefferson

Why would anyone love hate that saying?  Easy it’s truth that resonates, challenges and convicts me.

So to climb these mountains, to make these changes, to reach these goals and dreams, I must do things I’ve never done.  Step out on faith, and dance on the edge, leaping and trusting God, and not knowing the outcome, but believing, hoping, and persevering, and knowing Who holds the outcome.

All you can do next, is the next thing.

The speaker ended with this . . .

“When I got to the top, I looked out, and saw all the other mountains, and you know what I realized?  There are more mountains to climb.”

We’re never done, and that’s good, we’ll always have the option to grow.  Keep climbing.