Life is a Climb

By Esther Cohen

Life is a climb. Not always a straightforward climb. Sometimes the steps become narrow and difficult to use. Sometimes they are slippery and we lose our footing. We slip and we fall, and it hurts. We stop. We catch our breath, and we continue to climb, at times because there is no choice or no point on giving up. Mostly because we deep down know and remind ourselves that the climb will be worth infinitely more than the struggle it took.

Recently I climbed Guy’s Tower at Warwick Castle. Before starting I stared at the tower and thought I would never make it to the top. My limitations did not bode well for a climb but I was inspired by the enthusiasm of the person I was with, who believed I could do it. The steps, like much in other climbs in my life, were narrow, slippery, and windy, going round and round in circles but a little further up each time. There were no windows or light, nor an indication of how much further still to go. I consider giving up, but I had gone too far up to turn around. People were behind me and needed me to get to the top so that they could continue their climb. Suddenly I was there. The view, the fresh air and the tremendous sense of achievement were worth the effort.

Most things that are truly worthwhile require tremendous effort. Relationships, personal development, success at work, bringing up children, passing major exams, making life meaningful; the list is endless. Every step we encounter in our climb towards achievement and success can be perceived as a stumbling block or as a stepping stone. The choice of mindset is ours.

If the next step to climb feels like a stumbling block it might simply be that the lesson to be learned from it will turn all other rungs into steppingstones. Remind yourself that as we change our attitude and learn how to circumvent the challenge, the stumbling block will quickly become the next step that will take us to our goal.

Happy climbing!