Climbing Mountains

May 15, 2021

Have you ever climbed a mountain?

A mountain looks like it is very hard to climb, but most people climb multiple sets of stairs a day at a steeper slope than most mountain trails. The difference is the size of the chunk you choose to climb. If you are a beginner like me most of the time when you choose to climb a mountain you choose a small one and you choose to climb up and down the mountain in the same day. That is a lot of work in one day and if you haven’t been preparing ahead of time it can result in a lot of back talk from your mind and a lot of pain in your body. If you have done this you know that as you are climbing your mind constantly attacks you telling you that you can’t do it. When this happens you can choose to: ignore it, distract yourself from it, learn from it, make peace with it, use it to motivate you to keep pushing yourself to the top or listen to it and stop climbing. Some of those decisions lead to the success of your climb, others lead to disappointment. Disappointment is not failure unless you don’t learn from it. The lesson you learn might simply be that you don’t like mountain climbing and won’t do it again. That is okay, that is a legitimate lesson which means you won’t regret turning around before reaching the top.

Of course when you are injured or the climb becomes unsafe the decision becomes less about choice and more about safety so you can return another time to try again.

Climbing mountains towards goals will require as much perseverance as climbing a mountain, perhaps more because of the extended period of time the climb will take and therefore the longer period of time your mind has to attack your efforts. It might say things such as:

“This is too hard, you can’t do it.”

“What do you mean you are going to quit your job to go for your dream, how are we going to eat and pay our bills?”

“You aren’t talented enough for that dream.”

“Who do you think you are, you don’t have the expertise to do that?”

The great thing about working towards the goals you have for your life is that you do it little chunk of mountain at a time. Little chunks of mountains are just stairs. Most of us climb stairs everyday, nothing new, nothing scary.

I am committed to taking at least one step a day towards a life goal.

But I also limit myself, even though on some days I get excited and it is hard to stop.  

Why?

Because I am old enough, and wise enough to have learned that for me, slow and steady wins the race. It is the only thing that ALWAYS has – for me. I am not saying that there are not people out in the world who can sprint for long distances, only that I am not one of them. I am more of a marathoner, a very slow marathoner. I have tried sprinting. When I sprint I end up leaving the race, goal in the dirt until, perhaps years later (yes years), I pick up the pieces of my goal, dust them off and try again.

My husband and I have built our dream home, one step at a time.

We have built our dream life, one step at a time.

And now we are working towards new goals, all, one step at a time,

We haven’t abandoned any goals we work towards in this way.

I now prefer to call our journeys adventures,

and we are not climbing mountains, we are walking along the shore.

Why a shore?

Because I love the water and beaches and walking along shorelines. Shorelines offer variety in what you will face, without the scariness that mountains present to people.

Well, there are storms, but we will encounter storms in life no matter where we are and whether or not we are working towards life goals.

So if you have an audacious goal that you want to work towards, please follow me, and invite others you know who want to work towards their dreams to join us. We are about to go on the adventure of a lifetime together, and then another one, and another one. If life has been boring for you – it will be boring no more – boring is banished! If it takes ten years to make your dream come true is that too long? Consider what life will be like for you in ten years if you work towards your dream. Then consider what life will be like for you if you don’t work towards your dream. In ten years, you will still be ten years older, but in one case you will be that much closer to what you want for your life, or already have it, in the other case you will not, and will likely regret it.

God planted your dreams in your heart and wants you to succeed. Take a step, God is with you, and many of us are here supporting you, cheering you on.

I can tell you from my own experience in working toward my dreams that I have NEVER, not once, regretted going for my dreams. Even when things were not going according to plan my husband and I figured out solutions to the challenges we faced. You will be able to do the same.

Have faith in yourself, you can do this and you will create more joy for your life as you journey toward your dreams!

Join me and take that next step towards your dream life!

Velvet

Living with More Joy one step at a time