Rise To The Challenge

The tallest mountain in the world is Mount Everest. People who reach the peak are actually standing higher than some airplanes ever fly! Around 1,000 people try to climb it each year, and the success rate is around 65%.

Along the way, there is this gruesome area known as "The Death Zone". This is where the climb becomes the most treacherous, even though you are closer to the summit. There's not enough oxygen to keep you alive if you don't have a breathing apparatus, and you have to pass through something called "Rainbow Valley", so called because it is the final resting place of many climbers who did not make it to the top.

Due to the cold temperature and extreme height, their frozen bodies remain preserved and intact (carrying them down is very difficult, so most are left where they fall). They are identified by their clothes, like "Green Boots" and "Sleeping Beauty".

Now imagine, for just a second, what that's like for a climber. You are exhausted, nervous, and fighting for every breath, yet you can see your goal (the summit of the mountain). However, to get there, you have to pass by the bodies of many people who tried the exact thing you are just about to try and failed. That is your decision point.

Have you ever shared your dreams or goals with someone, only to have them share horror stories about what could go wrong, about others who tried it and failed, and about how reckless your idea is? Suddenly, that dream idea that was going to make your life more fulfilling has instead become a nightmare to be avoided at all costs.

Listen to wise counsel. Examine every possible outcome you can, and plan for eventualities along the way. But ultimately, you'll have to decide whether or not you're going to take that first step...and whether you'll keep going when you reach the place where so many other people have failed.

Yes, there are a lot of bodies on Everest, but most people make it to the top and back down again safely. When you reach that point in your plans where others have failed or quit, keep pushing on. Learn from their mistakes, prepare as much as possible, and keep on climbing! Just because others have failed in the past doesn't automatically mean you will too.

There will always be naysayers to every dreamer. Whether it's people who are overly cautious, or simply those who don't want you to succeed because they never tried and you'll make them look bad, some will never support your dream or understand your calling. That's okay. They don't have to support it in order for it to come to pass.

Learn from the past. Prepare as much as you can. Be ready to pivot along the way. But ultimately, never give up on a dream you truly feel called to accomplish.

Climb higher!