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Steps to Success



When climbers are ascending mountains at significant altitude, they must repeatedly go through a series of acclimatization periods along the way. This often requires climbing up to specific elevation but then coming back down at the end of the day to camp at a much lower altitude. This allows the body to slowly adapt to the decreasing partial pressure of oxygen, or “thinner air,” experienced as the climber ascends. By spending the night at a lower camp, the body is given time to make the necessary adjustments, such as increasing red blood cell concentration in the bloodstream, required to deal with the stress of activity with less available oxygen.

Although the process of ascending and descending the same slopes can be frustrating and sometimes demoralizing, it is essential to the success of the mission. Without the time to acclimate, and actually come down from higher altitudes, the body is not yet prepared to deal with the challenges it will face as elevation increases. The brain becomes starved for oxygen leading to headaches, nausea, vomiting and even death.  Without the physiological adaptation taking place, the progress is not sustainable and can actually be dangerous.

I think life is like climbing a mountain in a lot of ways. We want every step to take us to new heights and be able to look back at any time and see we are higher than we were yesterday, last week, last month and last year. However, that’s just not how it goes. Two steps forward, one step back seems more the norm. We have to remember when pursuing our purpose, just like scaling a mountain, not every step takes us higher but it does still bring us closer, even if we can’t see it in the moment.

Sometimes it’s the downturns, the very ones that seem to pull us further from our goals, which are actually preparing us to handle the journey towards our dreams and ambitions. Just like the acclimatization process that changes the physiology of the climber, preparing him for the elevation ahead, the obstacles along the path of life can equip us for the achievements we desire but might not otherwise be able to handle. We all want to be on the top of the mountain but most of us are not yet ready for the altitude. Embrace the setbacks and step backs.

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