Flying over the Rockies, those 14ers looked more like large cupcakes with lots of white icing (beautiful!) but not the imposing pieces of granite they truly are when you're trudging to the top of one.
I always remember our first view of Pikes Peak when we would drive from the Midwest to Colorado. We always wanted to be the first one to see it. Even so it began as just a shadow in the distance not the huge peak that it is.
You see the size of a mountain is all about perspective. Where we're looking from, how far away we are and what we're comparing it to. Now granted the mountain is still what it is - 5000, 14,000 or 28,000 feet high. Perspective doesn't change the actual size of our mountain but it can radically alter our attitude and ability to climb.
So when we're climbing life's mountains, how can we obtain new, helpful perspective? First, if you can, climb some real mountains. Climbing takes you to the high places where you can be reminded that there is a bigger picture concerning life. Climbing reminds you of a Creator or at least suggests that you ponder Him. It's hard to imagine that what you see is just an "accident" of nature.
Second, spend some time with others climbing mountains similar to yours. Those people can give you a new look at what you're facing because of their experiences while sometimes reminding you that your mountain isn't as high as theirs.
Third, as I often suggest in these blog posts, climb only one section of your mountain at a time. The whole mountain will be overwhelming if you only look at it as a whole. But when you just concentrate on one section, you begin to get comfortable with the fact that you can climb that much.
If you're struggling on your climb today, maybe you need some new perspective. Take a hike, find a friend, determine to get to the next part of the trailhead. Your mountain is big but maybe not as big as you think.
No comments:
Post a Comment