A] Choose the mountain you want to climb:
don’t pay attention to what other people
say, such as “that one’s more beautiful” or “this one’s easier”. You’ll be spending lots of
energy and enthusiasm to reach your objective,
so you’re the only one responsible and
you should be sure of what you’re doing.
B] Know how to get close to it: mountains are
often seen from far off – beautiful, interesting,
full of challenges. But what happens when we
try to draw closer? Roads run all around them,
flowers grow between you and your objective,
what seemed so clear on the map is tough in
real life. So try all the paths and all the tracks
until eventually one day you’re standing in front
of the top that you yearn to reach.
C] Learn from someone who has already been
up there: no matter how unique you feel, there is always someone who has had the
same dream before you and ended up leaving
marks that can make your journey easier;
places to hang the rope, trails, broken
branches to make the walking easier. The
climb is yours, so is the responsibility, but
don’t forget that the experience of others can
help a lot.
D] When seen up close, dangers are controllable:
when you begin to climb the mountain
of your dreams, pay attention to the surroundings.
There are cliffs, of course. There
are almost imperceptible cracks in the mountain
rock. There are stones so polished by
storms that they have become as slippery as
ice. But if you know where you are placing
each footstep, you will notice the traps and
how to get around them.
E] The landscape changes, so enjoy it: of
course, you have to have an objective in
mind – to reach the top. But as you are
going up, more things can be seen, and
it’s no bother to stop now and again and
enjoy the panorama around you. At every
meter conquered, you can see a little further,
so use this to discover things that
you still had not noticed.
F] Respect your body: you can only climb a
mountain if you give your body the attention
it deserves. You have all the time that life
grants you, as long as you walk without
demanding what can’t be granted. If you go
too fast you will grow tired and give up half
way there. If you go too slow, night will fall
and you will be lost. Enjoy the scenery, take
delight in the cool spring water and the fruit
that nature generously offers you, but keep
on walking.
G] Respect your soul: don’t keep repeating “I’m going to make it”. Your soul already
knows that, what it needs is to use the long
journey to be able to grow, stretch along the
horizon, touch the sky. An obsession does not
help you at all to reach your objective, and
even ends up taking the pleasure out of the
climb. But pay attention: also, don’t keep saying“it’s harder than I thought”, because that
will make you lose your inner strength.
H] Be prepared to climb one kilometer more:
the way up to the top of the mountain is
always longer than you think. Don’t fool yourself,
the moment will arrive when what
seemed so near is still very far. But since you
were prepared to go beyond, this is not really
a problem.
I] Be happy when you reach the top: cry, clap
your hands, shout to the four winds that you
did it, let the wind – the wind is always blowing
up there – purify your mind, refresh your
tired and sweaty feet, open your eyes, clean
the dust from your heart. It feels so good,
what was just a dream before, a distant
vision, is now part of your life, you did it!
J] Make a promise: now that you have discovered
a force that you were not even aware of,
tell yourself that from now on you will use
this force for the rest of your days. Preferably,
also promise to discover another mountain,
and set off on another adventure.
K] Tell your story: yes, tell your story! Give
your example. Tell everyone that it’s possible,
and other people will then have the courage
to face their own mountains.
