Climbing Mountains

Today I climbed a mountain.  Well, not the Mt. Everest kind of mountain.  So maybe more like a hill!  I’ve climbed a lot of hills while hiking, but this one seemed different at first.  There were no trees blocking the view to the top, so from the bottom I could see where the hike led and where it would end.

As I stood at the bottom looking up, all I could think about was how high it was.  And at first, I didn’t believe that’s where the trail actually led to.  I wasn’t sure I could make it due to the elevation.  But then I looked at the trail and realized it was no different than other trails I have hiked, and all I had to do was take it one step at a time.  Before I knew it, I was halfway up.  The view was beginning to be very nice, and I couldn’t wait to get all the way to the top.

This reminded me of life and the many problems we face each day.  Sometimes we look at them like they are mountains we can never climb.  Sometimes we give up before we even try because the “mountain” seems too difficult.  And then there are those times when we take the problem one step at a time and end up conquering it.  It’s such a great feeling after conquering the mountain.  And it’s a feeling I love!  I certainly don’t love it on the way up the mountain, because hard work generally isn’t fun.  The work can be tough, but the work is required to reach the goal. Therefore, I know I will never reach the top if I don’t put in the work.

You can’t earn a degree in a day…..it takes one step at a time.  You can’t lose 30 pounds in a day…..it takes one step at a time.  You can’t recover from grief in a day…..it takes one step at a time.  You can’t train for a marathon in a day…..it takes one step at a time.  You can’t learn to play an instrument in a day…..it takes one step at a time.  You can’t build a business in a day…..it takes one step at a time.

What step are you going to take today in order to reach the top of your mountain?