Slow and Steady Climb

Last night I took my kids hiking up a fairly short but steep mountain here in Anchorage. As we progressed up the trail we encountered varying terrain, levels of difficulty and even trail coverage. Trail conditions also were quite different along the way. Some spots were steep. Some areas muddy. The trail was wide in some areas and well cleared, other portions were narrow and crawling with heavy roots. Some places were open while other lengths of the trail were so heavily treed the sun was blocked out. With kids ranging from four to ten years old, there was also quite a disparity in endurance and physical capability in our adventure party.

Despite all the variation in our trek, my encouragement to the band of intrepid explorers was the same – one step at a time, one foot in front of the other. I was reminded our little climb had many parallels to the journey of life, especially during the difficult moments.

Some areas of life are steep and strenuous, with every step challenged and laborious. Our path in life can be muddy and it may seem as if we are sliding back down the hill instead of progressing forward. Sometimes we are struggling through the weeds. At times the trail may be covered in roots that threaten to trip us up and jeopardize our footing. As you struggle through the trials, the thought of how high you still must climb and how long you have yet to go can be overwhelming.

Still, it is one foot in front of the other, just one step at a time. Many people will give up and quit, overwhelmed by the mountain in front of them. The solution is simple but not easy – constantly push forward, even if progress is slow, you keep going. As long as you don’t quit, you will eventually get up through the woods, the weeds and the mud. You will take a look back at your progress and what you have accomplished and notice the view for the first time. It’s breathtaking and magnificent, making every step of the climb more than worth the effort. You’ll get there, just one step at a time.

Comments

Toxic Humility

We have all seen false humility: the guy who tries to hide his arrogance with feigned modesty. It’s usually pretty obvious and always obnoxious. But there is also another variation of false humility out there: toxic humility. This is often displayed in self-deprecating talk and a lack of self-confidence, belittling or undermining one’s own talents and abilities. The danger in this kind of behavior is twofold: it is too often accepted as true humility and like a virus, it spreads doubt and disbelief. To clarify, it is not that the bearer of this toxic humility isn’t honest about his view of himself. That is the very issue: he absolutely believes he has little value or utility. He thinks downplaying his own worth is humility but I disagree. CS Lewis said it best when he wrote, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking about yourself less.” His point being, true humility is not an ever-present raincloud of self-doubt that follows you around. It’s a focus on

Glutton for Punishment

I’ve learned over the years that being comfortable can be a dangerous thing. I try to find paths to discomfort to push me out of my realm of “safety.” However, I have noticed my ability to develop comfort zones amidst discomfort. I’ve found ways to be comfortable in uncomfortable circumstances. I wonder, do I need to be stretched beyond those areas as well? One of the areas in which I have adapted to the discomfort is the gym. I don’t go to the gym to exercise, to get stronger or even to be healthier. It’s grown beyond that. Now, I go to the gym to clear my head by testing my will and resolve. I do it to see how hard I can push my limits and I strive to outwork everyone else there. I may not be the strongest, the fastest or the fittest. I may not lift the most weight or even do the most reps – I can’t control any of those variables – but I can control my effort. So one of my goals for each workout is to unleash more effort than anyone else at the gym. But along with this

Commitment

You know what the problem is with a lot of goals and grand plans? They are mostly fueled by emotion rather than commitment. It is why most New Year’s Resolutions are long forgotten by now and many aspirations quietly fizzle out over time. True commitment is sticking with the effort even – if and especially when – the emotion has diminished or disappeared. Emotion can be a great initiator of action, like kindling on a fire, but it lacks staying power. Commitment is the logs that keep the fire burning long after the kindling is consumed. The butterflies after falling in love, the best intentions of waking up at 4:30am every day to work out after you join a new gym, the excitement of your first day on campus, even the sleep-deprivation induced euphoria of a new baby: all kindling. But it is commitment that keeps you working hard on the marriage twenty-three years after “I do.” It is what causes you to keep going when you do not want to make one more sales call, do one more presentat

Mindset Matters

Search This Blog