‘THE CLIMB’ By Angela Mugo

At my workplace, we typically have a period of six months where we learn on the job. It's an amazing six months that...


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At my workplace, we typically have a period of six months where we learn on the job. It’s an amazing six months that consists of very small milestones that eventually culminate into promotion to the next stage.

Recently, I had a conversation with a colleague who told me that she felt she was getting caught up in all these milestones. The gist of it was, she worried that she had stopped living in the now and was instead, concentrating too much on the future. In her mind, she believed she would be happy once she got to a certain stage and yet she worried that the moment she got there, somebody would move the finishing line resuting in her having to wait until the next milestone. In short, she felt like it was a never ending race.

This conversation got me thinking about what it is like to live life this way. Often we delude ourselves into thinking that we will only be happy once we acquire a certain thing or reach a certain milestone We justify our lack of happiness by the fact that we do not have said thing. Sometimes it is a job, a thing or even a relationship. We work so hard and forget to take the time to cultivate our souls. We let our ambition suck life out of our souls. We stop living and start existing.

Yet, the thing is, as human beings, we are made to be chasers. When we get one thing, we concentrate on another. It is the universe’s little neat way of keeping us on our toes. By this very fact, we can never be happy if we attach our happiness to achievement. Even if we do, we will be happy for just a split second before the next wave of ambition comes and knocks the happiness right out of our heads. We end up like a hamster on a wheel, never stopping yet never seeming to get anywhere.

There is a flip side to this however. We can still work towards our goals, look forward to them but choose to enjoy the process. In other words, living in and, for the moment. Are you looking for a job? How about you enjoy the free time you have and take up a new hobby? How about you take the time to learn a fun new course online? How about you spend that time catching up with family? Yes I agree, not having money can put a dumper on things however, there are so many things we can enjoy without money.

Find them and start out on the journey of self-discovery. Trying to find a stable relationship? How about you enjoy the process? How about you enjoy the dates you get to go on? How about you enjoy your solitude by taking care of you? How about you spend that time working on your personal issues. See as much as standing at the top of the mountain is exhilarating, the climb is equally amazing. We spend so much time on the climb that it would be a shame if we chose to completely disregard it. We risk missing out on the excitement of slipping and almost falling, the thrill of getting scratched yet still forging ahead, the joy of having a friend hold out their hand to help us up and the excitement of looking up and seeing where we are headed. Wishing you all, the best in your climb. To read more posts by Angela, click HERE

Photo Credit: Buildingmentaltoughness.com

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