WHAT DRAWS US TO THE MOUNTAIN?
What stirs in a person’s heart to draw us to the mountaintop? The effort involved in preparing for and then getting to the trailhead, hiking up a trail with possibly 30% grades or more; dropping our heavy pack and stretching our ever-tightening hamstrings and lower back along the way, occasionally stopping to look back and see our progress for encouragement… and then…doing all this knowing that once we get to the top, we’ll turn around and trek back down that trail from where we came… this all drives me to ask again, what is it that draws us to the mountaintop?
For many of us, there is an invitation to adventure; an invitation to test our strength and conviction. Perhaps for some of us, through this experience, we’ll learn something about ourselves we can apply to other areas of our lives. For those who’ve never stood on a mountaintop, soaking in the 360-degree views, looking at surrounding mountaintops as far as the eye can see, enjoying the quiet satisfaction of personal accomplishment, it may seem like a foreign thought to be inspired by such an image…but what if we’re talking about a different kind of mountain?
- What if we’re talking about a metaphorical mountain? What if we’re talking about an obstacle you’ve tried to overcome over the years, but rather than experiencing the deep satisfaction of getting to the top, you’ve become accustomed to returning to the trailhead with a sense of failure and a growing sense of hopelessness, questioning if you’ll ever get to the summit? What if this is a mountain that does not inspire…but instead taunts you?
- What if we’re talking about a mountain that stands directly between you and something very important to you?
Perhaps, like me, you’re someone who came to a point of accepting failure as the inevitable conclusion to any attempts to scale your mountain. For me, I embraced a lie for decades, accepting a viewpoint that I could never again reach the summit of that mountain that taunted me. Looking at that mountain only brought disgust and discouragement. Embracing failure as a truth influenced various storylines in my life, and as I look back, there have been many times those past failures have influenced present choices…choices where I no longer believed my “Plan A” was an option.
WHERE ARE WE HEADING? THE STAGES OF CHANGE…
We’re going to the summit…and the trail is called the “Stages of Change.” We’re going to talk about climbing mountains, about reengaging the adventurous spirit that may be lying dormant, buried under an avalanche of snow and rock mixture. We’re going to touch on a process I talk about constantly in my work as a probation officer, the Transtheoretical “stages of change”. I’ll talk more about these stages in future posts, but they will serve as cairns, marking the trail as we navigate upward toward the summit.
My interactions with probation clients over the years has impacted me in powerful ways. The clients I work with have issues that must be addressed if they want to keep their freedom. It’s a very black and white situation: comply with court orders or put yourself in jeopardy of being revoked and possibly sentenced to jail, community corrections, or worse…prison. I’ve worked in the Court system for almost 25 years, and the longer I’m in it, the more I realize I have more in common with my clients than I care to admit. I am fully aware that unless I am willing to apply these same concepts, the stages of change, to my own life, I will continue to live in a prison of my own making. It may be a metaphorical prison just like that taunting mountain…but it’s still a prison.
These stages are not easy to navigate through because, for many of us, I’m not simply talking about building better habits; about replacing a bad habit with a good habit. I’m talking about replacing bad wiring with good wiring. I’m talking about the faulty and destructive thinking patterns that must be exposed and addressed if we are ever going to successfully climb those mountains that stand between us and the dreams or goals that we so deeply care about on the other side.
So…with all that said, care to join me on this hike?
LONGS PEAK…MY INSPIRATION
I don’t know that there’s a day that goes by where my eyes aren’t drawn to that mountain. It stands out among all the mountains along the northern Front Range and can easily be seen from Cheyenne to south of Denver. It’s the crown jewel of Rocky Mountain National Park; in fact, it’s the only 14’er in the park.
It’s not accessible only to the elite, the skilled, the professional climbers…it’s accessible to anyone willing to commit to the preparation process; anyone willing to put one foot in front of the other for 14 miles, anyone willing to commit to an elevation gain of 5,000 feet. It’s accessible to anyone who wants to develop the mindset to climb it.
However, as those numbers suggest, Longs Peak will require that those who wish to get to its summit reach deep inside to find that something that pushes them through the mental, the physical, and the emotional challenges that come along the way…a casual mindset is no friend and will only hinder a climber’s ability to be successful.
I’m talking about Longs Peak here…but I could easily be talking about going back to school, starting a new business, or losing weight and reclaiming a healthy and active lifestyle; I could easily be talking about becoming clean & sober, getting out of debt, or writing a book…and I am! I am talking about all of this.
Climbing physical mountains is a challenging and incredibly rewarding accomplishment. Standing at the summit can be amazing, and the satisfaction that comes with winning the mental battles affirm we have a strength inside of us.
But climbing that metaphorical mountain that stand directly in my path; your path…that may be even more rewarding. Longs Peak stands there inviting me to an adventure, but some of those metaphorical mountains I mentioned above, well…in the past, as I said earlier, they’ve taunted me. The Sentries that stand guard along these trails challenge the wavering spirit within, only allowing those with strength of conviction to pass through on the way to the top. With every checkpoint we come to, we find the doubts assaulting us, challenging our conviction to keep going, reminding us of all the previous failed attempts, sometimes even negotiating with us that what we’ve accomplished is good enough.
DON’T SETTLE FOR GOOD ENOUGH!
Along the trail, there will be plenty of opportunities to stop and look out at the breathtaking views of the valley below and reflect on how far you’ve come from. Be pleased with your progress…but don’t be satisfied! Making progress is great, but don’t give in to compromising thoughts that the progress you’ve made is good enough. Enjoy those moments, take a break, grab an energy bar or some fruit, but don’t sit too long or you’ll stiffen up. Grab your gear and keep moving because it’s most likely many of you aren’t thinking about starting this journey with the idea of getting part-way there. It’s likely your passion and inspiration are driven by the image of standing at the summit.
As I said earlier, if your summit is:
- Lose weight and develop a healthy and active lifestyle…
- Start your own business…
- Return to school to earn a degree, license, or certification…
- Become clean & sober from an addiction…
- Get out of debt and find some financial freedom to create options…
- Pursue a creative passion such as writing, music, or art…
- Have healthy and growing relationships in your life…
- Live life with a positive mindset: the glass is half-full… “and filling quickly!”
- What else? There are so many mountains to be climbed!
…then this blog may be for you!
It’s encouraging when we find people traveling our direction because we know we’re not lost wandering around in the wilderness, hoping for Search & Rescue to come along and airlift us out.
PAVED ROADS & WINDSHIELDS
Another quality I find interesting when I compare climbing mountains with pursuing the kind of change that leads to amazing outcomes is this: you’ll find heavy traffic congestion along the paved roads. Many live lives experiencing adventure through a windshield. They have no thought of getting out of their vehicle. Others will park along the way and go out a short distance, but they’re not thinking about summitting a mountain, they just want a little experience. When we make the commitment to step out into the wilderness and navigate up the trail, we will cross paths with fewer people the further we go. As you navigate upward, you will find you share common goals with those you do cross paths with, and you may find encouragement in those relationships. As you keep climbing, enjoy the idea you are in rare company on your journey, because so often, it’s dangerously easy to grow content sitting in the car, or being satisfied with a little experience to break up the monotony of a complacent life.
NO JUDGMENT HERE
No stones of judgment being thrown here…for too many years I tried to find contentment looking at life through windshields on paved roads instead of lacing up my boots and taking steps into the mountains. Even now, I feel like I’m not that far out…there are others who are far further up on this journey.
I’m just focused on putting one foot in front of the other and looking for others who want to take this journey with me. Consider joining me, I could use the company and the encouragement.