The Point Of Climbing A Mountain ~ Part 2: 10 Life Lessons I Learned

Continued...

PS: Click here to read the story leading to this post.

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So, what's the point of climbing a mountain anyway?

That's really what I asked myself as I started back down, one of the last 4 people to descend this mountain that day, resigned that for the next couple of hours - I have to surrender to doing what it takes to get back to civilization.

Some profound life lessons reached my tired mind on my descend - this is what I've learned going up and down this mountain for a total of 22 hours:-

1) Don't bring unnecessary baggage - the less baggage you choose to take along with you, the easier the journey is. And if you have to, get someone to help you carry it. Literally & metaphorically speaking.

2) Take it at your own pace. You are competing with no one, not even yourself. There is just a task, and once on the path, the task is to complete the task. No matter how long it takes. There is no timer except the one you set in your head. Throw it away. It'll drive you nuts.

3) Don't talk to anyone turning back to ask why. It's obvious. They gave up. If you wanna get to the top, you don't need to hear stories on why someone chose to give up. Especially when you can hardly breathe yourself.

4) You can make it halfway on your own, but to really get to the top - you need help from those that are more experienced than you. Don't be afraid to ask for it & when offered, don't be too proud to receive it. This reminds me of what my mentor Randy Gage says: “You can't improve and look good at the same time.”

5) When the going gets excruciatingly tough - stop, breathe, and take in the beauty of the scenery. The backdrop to this climbing journey was breath taking. So is the backdrop to your life journey.

6) Frustrations come from unfounded expectations & the need to know. Surrender to the moment, and take each step at a time. I learned this trying to figure out what's next in the climb. I gave it up after hitting rock walls over and over again. I'll climb it if it's in front of me. Until then, I'm just taking this next step and that’s enough. Have faith on the path.

7) Equip yourself with the right tools. Sustenance for your body, tools for leveraging and easing the climb, peace for your mind, and strength for the spirit. I took FLX & OHM all the way, had that 2 walking sticks, took everything one step at a time, and listened to inspirational stuff on my iPhone iPod.

8) Appreciate the people around you. Everyone's presence including yours, make a difference. We need each other for inspiration and encouragement. I was inspired to see how Sunny's will overcame the painful fact that he tore his kneecap on the way up, and climbed back down anyway - with NO complaints! The success of others is your success too, for we are all inter-connected on an energy level. Protect & nurture that.

9) Prepare & train! Pay the price before, or else, pay the price plus interest on the climb.

10) Work with the terrain - adjust to foreign landscapes in order to survive or thrive in it. Coming from nothing is the least painful way to learn this lesson.

After this experience, I am dead serious that this is my first and last mountain climb. However, I am grateful to have experienced it for it taught me much about life and success, as well as revealed to me who I can be. It wouldn't have been the same if I read these concepts off a book.

Agel Malaysia has decided to do this annually. It is for an amazing cause that helps less fortunate kids, so if you want to pitch yourself for a great cause - let me know. I'll be most happy to get you connected and send you off. :)

To my climb mates, you guys rock! To Billy, thanks for inspiring this post – you’re right, I'm glad I recorded this down for posterity. And to everyone else, I know it’s a super long post so thanks for reading y'all.

Here's to you conquering all the mountains in your lives!

xoxo
Jamie


PS: If you'd like to contribute to this cause that we are climbing for, please go to Agel Cares Foundation & make a donation. Every cent counts. Much appreciated! xoxo