summits

summits are majestic places. both from afar and up close. they make for fantastic views from below, awe-inspiring. they make for ambitious undertakings to get up close, the pinnacle of so much effort.

and one of the most powerful things they offer from either vantage point is perspective. from the valley, the perspective corresponds to my relative smallness. from the peak, the perspective can reveal all that is below – behind and ahead. both are humbling I’d say.

I think pausing at the summit seasons is crucial for growth. we all need to be regularly taking the inventory of where we are, where we’ve come, and where we’re headed. and perspective helps. pushing on aimlessly in the name of keeping up with the Jones’ or stuck in the grind of achievement chasing, you can lose touch with the perspective, with the aim, with the definition of what your peak actually is.

direction matters. anyone peak-bagging will tell you orienting a summit takes navigation skills, and the first step in navigation is knowing where you are now.

where am I in relation to the summit?

where am I in relation to the river, the ravine, etc?

and do I trust myself to still be on the trail when I can’t see through the trees?

in a culture that talks of peak performance often, I wonder what peaking performance would look like.

can I always be looking up?

can I seek to orient myself to where I’ve come from, where I am going, and what the next summit entails? and then ultimately at that summit, have the vision for the next?

I don’t think I want a single pinnacle, but instead a series of summits, carrying with me lessons from the valleys.