A while back, I came across this article on Mount Everest and the process one must go through to reach the summit. It came to mind during one of my meditations this week and brought along with it some valuable lessons on elevating and ascending into your most authentic self. My name literally translates to ‘mountain’, so I feel a deep connection to this article as well as the message here.
Climbing Mount Everest is one of the toughest challenges a human can ever experience. It’s not like going to a park, putting on your hiking boots, taking a quick trip, and getting the fridge magnet that says you went.
In fact, it’s far more complex.
The journey to Mount Everest, on average, takes 6-10 weeks. Two of those weeks are spent trekking just to get to the base of it. Acclimatization, the process of getting the body adjusted to the thinner air, takes another 4-6 weeks. Only about a week of that time is spent ascending and once you reach the peak, you only get to spend a few moments there before you make a 2-3 day descension back to the base camp. And, don’t forget you have to take that trek back home.
There’s something deeply spiritual about this process and how it resonates with our own spiritual journeys. You see, elevation and ascension are processes we must be acclimated to in order to receive its fullness. The climbers must train themselves to survive in thin air (think of going for a run and only being able to breathe through a straw). We must also do the same in our own journey.
Each step towards ascension holds a specific purpose that prepares you for higher ground. We must remember this for ourselves, which is why I’m not one to believe in coincidences.
For the climbers, each breath is measured. They’re only provided with the amount of oxygen they can carry (God bless the Sherpas). Our breaths are also measured, meaning we all have our own specific amount of time in this realm to do what we came to do. Is it heavy to think about? Sure. But beyond its weight, we must remember that everyone around us has been given their own measure. Be mindful of our own, and make every one of those breaths count.
The trek itself reminds me of how self-centered we must become at times. Our good hearts desire to bring as many people along with us to experience the heights we acclimate to. In that same breath, we must remember how personal our spiritual journeys are. You’ll have those tender moments with community, family, loved ones, etc. but at the end of the day your journey belongs to you. Those who are acclimated to be alongside you will be but even then, the journey remains yours.
I also see the wisdom within the climb to the summit. They don’t ascend 29,029 feet in one trek. Instead, they spend a few days going up part of the way and come right back down. Then up a little more than the day before, and right back down to base camp. See any parallels to your life experiences here?
This is why I see such beauty in setbacks and failures even when they don’t feel good in the moment. They teach you something. They equip you with experience and wisdom that cannot be taught nor read from a book.
Next, the summit itself.
You go through almost 2 months of trekking only to stay at the top for a few minutes. When it comes to our own human experience, there’s a valuable lesson here. We aren’t just meant to reach the peak and that be the end of our journey.
The views may be beautiful, and the experience may be well worth the climb. But when it comes to this life thing, “each one teach one” is the best way to describe the lesson I see here. Our own summit moments are meant to teach us something about ourselves. To enlighten us to new perspectives and connect the dots the way only you can do it. We bring that knowledge down and share it with others who seek to ascend in their own way. We learn from one another. We remember the humanity within that connects us as a people, and we become better together for it.
The takeaway here? Enjoy the journey. Every moment of it. Our breaths are measured and our days are counted. Do you want to spend that time worried over things you can’t control? Envious over someone else’s plate instead of seeing it as a reflection of what you too can also achieve?
Your life is too precious, valuable, and significant to spend it centered around anyone or anything outside of you and all that makes you whole. Know that every step you’ve taken up to this point has been purposeful. You are not an accident. There’s so much promise over you if you can receive that.
Will you?
Hope this helps.
With love,
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