FOUR YEARS AGO, I climbed the Swiss Alps and it remains one of the best experiences I have ever had. The entire experience was life-changing because it was an entire metaphor on life.
Dress for the climb
We drove to the base of one of the main mountains. It was only when I descended the steps of the bus that one of my peers chuckled and asked if I had thought I was in Barbados. You see, I had failed to dress for the climb. I neither researched the temperature nor the struggles others had in climbing a mountain totally unprepared. It emphasised how important preparation is in life. It was Zig Ziglar who evolved Seneca’s original quote by stating that “success is when preparation meets opportunity”.
As we gathered, our guides explained our activities to come. We would take some very small trams hundreds of feet above ground level to the middle of the mountain. From there, we would climb to the top. Quite a few persons decided not to climb the mountain. They were comfortable to walk across the fields and watch the landing people who were parasailing from the mountaintops.
There will be some who decide that the bottom of the mountain is where they want to be. Nothing is wrong with that. They are satisfied to sit on the lawns and watch others fly high and be audience to the journeys of others. Their journey is at that level and it does not discount the validity of their journey. However, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Others will take the tram because they “want more from life”. The bumps and halfway stops in the tram will frighten them. At the end of the train ride, some may decide to stop at the middle of the mountain and take photos so that everybody and his mother can see that they have climbed the mountain. They are comfortable being in the middle as it means they are not at the bottom. Additionally, they are not interested in the discomfort of climbing any higher.
Others will continue on their climb. These won’t stop to take pictures because the middle of the mountain is not an achievement for them. They save their picture taking for when they reach the top.
The higher the altitude, the more you have to adjust
We were warned about the altitude and how it would affect our body. Members of our group were assured that nothing would be held against us if we decided to stop along the way or take a tram back down.
The trek continued. At this time, our chests tightened and our fingers were numb. It became unbearably cold and my nose burnt. I could swear that my nose hairs were freezing. The breathing got heavier and the guide advised us on how to breathe and pace ourselves. My feet were achy and my ankles felt like two ice cubes. Tucked in a corner of the mountain, an old man was serving hot chocolate to those who decided to venture this much farther.
The same people you pass on your way to the top are the same ones you pass when you fall
Ambition is a great thing. However, ambition does not mean stepping on other’s backs to get where you want to be. One can self-actualise without undermining and deceiving others. That said, God knows who to give certain blessings to. As soon as you see God give some people blessings and then cease, he knows very well what he is doing. There are so many people that as soon as they receive a pinch of blessing, it gets to their head and they are behaving like Tubby the Guard, pompasetting and showing off with keys to a building that is not theirs. As a family member says, “dem kinda people is surprise themselves”, and all hell breaks loose. The arrogance is unreal. Remember to always be genuine and humble.
Eva man brek fuh heself
Very few people will carry you on their backs up the mountain. Someone once said to me, “Very few people are waiting around to help you.” Never expect that someone will assist you up a mountain that they too are trying to climb. Also, don’t expect people who want the same things out of life as you to readily help you if you come into issues on your climb. Manage your expectations of people and take nothing personally.
Many of us want to reach the top of the mountain but we have to be able to deal with being at the summit. It was Denzel Washington who said, “When you pray for the rain, remember to watch out for the mud.”
Toni Thorne is a young entrepreneur and World Economic Forum Global Shaper who loves global youth culture, a great debate and living in paradise. Email: [email protected]
