How To Get To The Top Of The Mountain

As I've mentioned before, I'm basically starting all over in life.  I'm seriously overweight after years as a taxi driver, and I need to lose about half my body weight.  That's a big challenge.  I'm unemployed, and with my "eclectic" job history, I've realized that it will be real hard to find a good paying job here in conservative North Carolina.  So that means I have to start a business with literally no money.  That's also a big challenge.  I don't have a working computer of my own at the moment.  That's another big challenge in the information/connectivity age we're in now.  There's a list of other things that "normal" people have that I don't.  Perhaps most challenging, I have to keep my spirits up in this time of facing multiple big challenges.  Many people out there are dealing with one or more of these same issues.

There's an old story that's been popping into my head recently.  I'm not sure where I heard it first.  But the basic story is a young seeker asks a wise old man (or woman) how to get to the top of a certain mountain.  That mountain, of course, represents your big goal in life.  The wise old person says, "To get to the top of the mountain, make sure that every step you take is in the direction of the top of the mountain."  Simple yet profound advice.  But we rarely take it seriously.

If I want to lose a lot of weight, then I have to make sure every action I take leads towards that goal.  That means eating only things that are healthy and exercising daily.  That's hard.  It's a simple idea, but it's hard.  But that's the nature of life. To start a business, it's the same thing, weed out the things in life that aren't part of that goal, and focus on building the business.  In other aspects of life, the same formula applies.

Do I do this right now?  No.  But I know the idea is out there, and I've begun to focus myself in different aspects of my life.  It's hard to just quit "normal" life and start a completely new lifestyle immediately.  Some people, in certain situations can do that, but it never seems to work for me.  So I'm slowly trying to delete bad habits and build good habits.

So what is your big goal?  Do you even have a major goal?  Or a series of goals in different aspects of your life?  If so, does each of your daily activities lead you towards that goal?  Or away from it?  Most people spend a huge amount of their time doing things that don't specifically lead towards their goals.  Now I know that if you have kids, you have to spend a lot of time caring for them in many different ways.  Don't neglect your kids or spouse to accomplish your goals.  But how do you use the personal time you do have?  Are you making steps towards the top of that proverbial mountain?  Or are you going in circles around the mountain?  

Let's Talk About Death

Yeah, I know... this is a subject we all try to avoid thinking about.  Here's why I'm bringing it up now.  In the past two weeks, I've been to three funerals for people from my church.  On top of that, this past Sunday the church observed All Saints Sunday, where we lit candles in memory of those in the church who've died in the past year, and family members who've died in years passed.  So the subject has been on my mind.

What I want to ask you is this:  How will you be remembered?  Have you lived a life of mediocrity and failed to do many of the things you once dreamed of?  Have you made a positive difference in the lives of those around you?  What do you regret more:  the crazy things you did do?  Or the things you didn't do?  Will people tell great stories at your funeral?  Has your life touched only those in your community, or has it touched many people far beyond?  What will your family members say about you?  What will your friends say about you?  Have you achieved the things you set out to?  Did you squeak through life afraid at every turn?  Or did you take life by the horns and thoroughly live it?

None of us knows how much time we have left.  How are you going to live this moment, and the remaining moments you have left?  Are you satisfied with your life so far?  I know I'm not.  I've had a lot of crazy adventures, but there's a lot more I want to do in this life.  Take some time to mull this over and see of you need to make some changes.  What would it take for you to be on your deathbed and say, "I gave it my best shot?"