Re-evaluate your mountaintop experience.

Most of us have had some type of “mountaintop experience” during our lifetime. Perhaps it was getting our driver’s license at the age of sixteen. It could have been graduating from college and then stepping into a dream job. Maybe it was getting married or having children. In any case, whenever something really wonderful happens to us, our excitement causes us to view it as one of life’s “mountaintop experiences”.

I recently heard a man say that he had worked all of his life to get to the top of his own personal mountain. He talked about the struggles and challenges he had faced both personally and professionally. The relationships he had with family and friends had caused him both happiness and sorrow. He reflected on the massive amount of time, effort and energy it took to reach the specific goals that he had laid out for his life.

Finally, one day he reached the top of his mountain. As he stood there looking back over his life and all of his accomplishments, he looked down and realized that the mountaintop was not at all what he thought it would be. It was simply a huge heap of “stuff” (both good and bad) that he had climbed up in order to get to where he was.

The “heap” on which he stood consisted of all the experiences and obstacles that he had faced on his journey through life. The sum total of all of the things he had done and experienced in life had brought him to the place where he stood at that moment in time. It actually turned out to be a good place. However, along the way there were broken relationships and many long hours of hard work and study. Under his feet lay challenge after challenge that he had encountered along the way in his business and personal life. There were many heartaches and tears shed over painful relationships with family members and close friends which were also part of the pile. Mixed in with all of that were some great memories and wonderful times of happiness, too. Though it had not been easy, it had all been well worth the journey to get to where he wanted to be in life.

When I heard that story, I identified with it so very much. I love life! I love to see goals attained after hard work. I love to see groups of people work together and everyone succeed. I love to see families encouraging and helping one another. However, the truth of the matter is simply this: the mountain really is made up of a lot of “stuff” (both good and bad). There will be times of recognition, success, fun, laughter, happiness, financial success and many wonderful experiences together with family and friends. However, there will be times of hard work, traffic jams, taxes, wasted time, frustrating situations, wrecked dreams, lost money, broken relationships and the list of challenges that we face at some point in our lifetime could go on and on. That is the reality of the experience of this thing we call “life”. Yet, if we keep going and if we keep climbing, the sum total of all those experiences will keep us moving upward in the right direction. And if we keep moving upward an onward, we will eventually get to the peak or sum total of our own personal mountaintop experience!

Why not begin to consider what “stuff” makes up your own mountain? Things may not be the way you want them to be right now, but as long as you just do the next right thing and move in a positive direction, you will continue to learn and grow.

The aspect of a beautiful mountaintop experience has a whole new meaning when you realize that it does not matter what the mountain is made of.  It matters not that the mountain is composed of a lot of “stuff”. What matters most is that you end up standing on top of it all rather than being consumed by it! If you keep striving and climbing you will eventually get on top of it all and you will have a life that is helpful to you, profitable to your family and a good influence on your friends.

I will see you on the mountaintop!

Tip: Re-evaluate your mountaintop experience.

Have a great week! God bless you!