When You Get To The Top Of The Mountain Will You Know It?

Hill or mountain, it is your choice.

No matter who you are and what you have done during your time on this earth, you have accomplished a lot. You may not think so, but it is true.

Science tells us that just being born is a big accomplishment. According to some studies, the odds of being born if expressed in a numerical value is 1 in 400 trillion. If that is true, you have already overcome unfathomable odds. It is the one feat we have all achieved.

It is what happens after birth that sets us apart.

I like to think of life as a series of mountains we must climb. Each with its own challenges and rewards. Some are very tall, others very steep, still others less ominous appearing, but still treacherous.

The goal is to climb the mountain and get to the top. It is the only way to appreciate what we have accomplished. You just need to find the correct mountain for you.

For some people, the mountain is about wealth. Will you have enough money to do all the things you have ever dreamed of and not worry any longer? The only caution is that you may become so consumed with making money you forget to do the things you dreamed of doing. Money alone cannot be a means to an end. You can’t take it with you when you leave this world.

Some people spurn material things in favor of their art or vocation. They measure their success through personal accomplishments. Their success often goes unnoticed by others.

Still, others choose the goals of a home, friends, and family. A place to wake up each morning and someone to talk with every day means more than all other material possessions.

Regardless of the path you have chosen, attainment must be the goal. It is simply a matter of deciding how you define success.

I encourage people to make a plan. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. It may not be a written plan, although a written plan is easier to remember. I have encouraged my sons to plan their futures as well. If you don’t know where you are going, you will never get there.

It is also worth noting that plans change. Times change, people change, and environments change. That means the plan you wrote years ago may need revising.

When I was growing up, my vision was to live out my days in my hometown. I never considered that I would move across the country and find a new home in a place where I had never visited. It happened.

When I started my first career the plan was a decent 9 to 5 job, in downtown Chicago, a couple of weeks paid vacation and a pension when I retired. I was able to exceed my goals. Over time, I turned that 9 to 5 job into a prominent consulting career. It allowed me to travel the world sharing my expertise with others in my field.

Even then, I never considered a second career that would teach me more about business than I ever learned in my college classes. It brought me to a higher plateau.

With each successive change, my goals grew more ambitious. Yet I always kept my goals attainable.

Yes, there were higher mountains, but I planned to climb a particular mountain. It became my goal. When I climbed that mountain, I looked at the next achievable one.

Had I chosen a higher mountain, I may have fallen. It may have ended in disaster not only affecting me but my family as well.

Now I am sitting comfortably at the top of my mountain, knowing I made the right choices. I have no plans to come down.

For now, I will just enjoy the view.

Thanks to The Ladybird and EwhyE.com

© Copyright 2022 J. Salvatore Domino

I hope you have enjoyed this story. If you want to see more like this: Subscribe to my Medium articles — you’ll get an email when I publish.