Ready for a hike up a mountain? That’s where we’re headed today. This excerpt comes from a chapter in the mountains section titled “Humility.” It might seem strange to equate mountains with such a word, but I think it’s vital that we view even our greatest achievements in the light of a sacred journey. Here’s what I write:
“We were never meant to live at high altitude. The air is too thin. The people who find it hard to descend are those who mistake godly powers for their own, and they cling to the peak. They believe they arrived at the mountaintop on their own steam alone, and that they deserve to remain in these rarified heights. But the mountaintop can never be truly conquered. We can enter the realm of the gods, but we do not become them.
“Mount Kailash in Tibet is considered so sacred that to set foot on her flanks is to defy the gods and risk death. To climb her would be sacrilege. It would steal from our souls. If we climb motivated only by ego, we lose part of our souls as well. And when we arrive at the summit, the power we wield is almost invariably toxic.
“When we dedicate our climb to something bigger than our personal ambitions, we climb with humility. In this way, our journey becomes a sacred one––whether it be about building our careers, finding our true selves, or creating a better world for our grandchildren. When we attain the mountain peak, we rest there gratefully, conscious of all the help we have been given on our way to success.”
[From “Reclaiming the Wild Soul,” White Cloud Press, October 2014],What is it to climb the mountains of life with humility? What changes when we seek out challenges, not out of personal ambition, but with an eye to the greater good? Jump in, and let’s hear about your experiences of mountains and challenges.
When I think of mountains I think of how they influence weather and terrain by their very presence. And I wonder what mountains can teach us about the impact we have on the world around us. I explore this in a chapter called “Influence:”
“Mountains create their own weather. When air currents collide with rock, they’re thrust upward, and as they rise, they cool. Clouds form, rain spills, snow falls. Steep-sloped mountains become flood chutes, spilling deluges into the valleys. On the leeward side of the mountain, away from the wind, lies the rain shadow: dry, dusty, desertlike.
“Mountains shape the landscape, not just because they rise above it but because their stance is rock solid.
“When we stand strong in our own beliefs, we also learn to dance with energy. Authenticity is power. Living in accordance with our own wild souls, we make our own weather. We hum with life. Like the wind, energy is only visible through its manifestation in the material world. It can arrive as a cleansing breeze or a wild keening. It can cut to the quick or create an atmosphere of calm. In Hebrew, the word for wind, ruach, is also the word for god, breath, spirit. Energy has the power to uplift, inspire, and tear down. And yet, failing to connect to our deepest selves, we struggle to wield it wisely.”
[From “Reclaiming the Wild Soul” White Cloud Press, October 2014)
How clear are you about the energy you emit and the influence you have, as a result simply of your presence? And what impact would you like to have on the world? What would you have to change–who would you have to be–to have that influence?
