Subject: I Tried To Climb The Mountain Today
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Welcome to Celebrating the Journey!
Friday, June 7, 2002
Issue #97
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Welcome Notes
2. I Tried To Climb The Mountain Today
3. Coaching: Quit Trying!
4. Quotes
5. A Different Perspective on Forgiveness
6. Celebrating Out Loud!
7. Humor: Frivolous Lawsuits
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1. Welcome Notes
I am still in Utah, hiking every day, getting fit, feeling
strong and so enjoying the company of fascinating
people. Fitness spas seem to attract an eclectic group
of people eager to truly enjoy this journey called life.
It is a treat to be surrounded by that kind of energy.
I am keeping a journal about this summer journey
which has a couple of new entries since last week. I’ll
add a couple more later today and tomorrow. Please
visit and share my summer adventures at
https://www.tothesummit.com/adventures2002.html.
If you’d like a copy of my summer itinerary, send an
e-mail to mailto:adventures@tothesummit.com.
What adventures are you creating this summer? Let
s know at mailto:myadventures@tothesummit.com.
Wherever you are, whatever you are doing on this
gorgeous June day, bring a sense of adventure to it –
even if it seems filled with everyday events.
Remember – adventure is an attitude. And above all –
ENJOY!
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2. I Tried To Climb The Mountain Today
This is one of my favorite mountain stories, and it
seems an appropriate time to share it with you. It was
written by Gary Barnes who has a great website at
http://www.self-worth.com. It’s well worth a visit.
I have “tried” to get fit for a number of months without success until I quit trying and began to
get fit. I’m climbing a mountain every day now: the mountain of getting my body moving each day. I
invite you to do the same.
I tried to climb the mountain today. As I inched my
way up the path, I felt overwhelmed, so I had to turn
back.
I tried to climb the mountain today. On my journey,
darkness started to fall, and I was full of fear, so I
had to return to a safe place.
I was ready to climb the mountain today. But it was
so hot outside, I thought I better stay in my nice air-
conditioned house and rest up for tomorrow’s
attempt.
I was about to climb the mountain today. But I had
so many other things to do, so instead of climbing the
mountain I took care of much more important tasks.
I washed my car, mowed the grass and watched the
big game. Today the mountain will just have to wait.
I was going to climb the mountain today. But as I
stared at the mountain in its majestic beauty, I knew
I stood no chance of making it to the top, so I figured
why even bother trying.
I had forgotten about climbing the mountain today;
until a friend came by and asked me what I was up to
lately. I told him I was thinking about climbing that
mountain some day. I went on and on about how I
was going to accomplish this task.
Finally, he said, “I just got back from climbing the
mountain. For the longest time I told myself I was
trying to climb the mountain but never made any
progress. I almost let the dream of making it to the
top die. I came up with every excuse of why I could
not make it up the mountain, but never once did I
give myself a reason why I could. One day as I stared
at the mountain and pondered, I realized that if I
didn’t make an attempt at this dream all my dreams
will eventually die.
“The next morning, I started my climb.” He continued,
“It was not easy, and at times I wanted to quit. But no
matter what I faced, I placed one foot in front of the
other, keeping a steady pace. When the wind tried
to blow me over the edge, I kept walking. When the
voices inside my head screamed ‘Stop!’ I focused on
my goal never letting it out of sight, and I kept
moving forward. At times, I was ready to quit, but I
knew I had come too far. Time and time again, I
reassured myself that I was going to finish this
journey. I struggled to make it to the top, but I
climbed the mountain!
“I have to be going,” my friend said. “Tomorrow is
a new day to accomplish more dreams. By the way,
what are you going to do tomorrow?”
I looked at him, with intensity and confidence in my
eyes, and said, “I have a mountain to climb.”
Gary Barnes
Copyright 1999
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3. Coaching: Quit Trying!
What mountain have you been trying to climb?
Has that trying gotten you to the top of the
mountain?
Here’s the deal about trying: Trying doesn’t get it
done! Trying often provides the best excuse in the
world to not climb that mountain. Yes, sometimes the
word can used in a very positive way. There is an
example in the quotes section. However…many of
use trying as an excuse to NOT DO something.
“I’m trying.” How often do you use that sentence?
Eliminate it from your vocabulary altogether. Create
a list of alternatives to the word ‘try’. There are a
bunch of them. Let’s pool our resources on this one.
Send your ideas to replace the word ‘try’ to
mailto:try@tothesummit.com. Let’s see how clever
we are. I’ll share your responses in the next issue
What have you been trying to do for a while now
without getting it done? The simple solution is: stop
trying and do it or be it. Now, I didn’t say it was the
easy solution. It is the simple one, however.
How do we know when we’re trying rather than
doing or being?
Here are some of the answers I’ve heard from clients.
Trying feels like a huge effort
Trying keeps us awake at night
Trying makes it hard to ask for help
Trying isolates us
Trying is fatiguing rather than energizing
Trying gets in the way of living
So quit trying so hard and get on with having the life
you REALLY want!
Stop trying to climb that mountain. Simply begin by
putting one foot in front of the other. Then do it
again. And again. You’ll be at the top before you
know it!
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4. Quotes
Faith is not trying to believe something regardless of
the evidence. Faith is daring to do something
regardless of the consequences.
Sherwood Eddy
Most people are searching for happiness. They’re
looking for it. They’re trying to find it in someone or
something outside of themselves. That’s a
fundamental mistake. Happiness is something that
you are, and it comes from the way you think.
Wayne Dyer
I try to live what I consider a “poetic existence.” That
means I take responsibility for the air I breathe and
the space I take up. I try to be immediate, to be
totally present for all my work.
Maya Angelou (Dr. Angelou’s success at living in
this way is a testament to a positive use of ‘try’.)
When you try to force things mentally, when you try
to hurry mentally, you simply stop your creative
power. In all mental working be relaxed, gentle, and
unhurried for effort defeats itself.
Emmet Fox
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5. A Different Perspective on Forgiveness
A close and valued friend sent an e-mail in response
to last week’s issue of CTJ on Forgiveness. I think his
words are wise and well worth reading. He writes:
“I don’t necessarily agree with all you say about
forgiveness. I believe that to give forgiveness also
helps the one who offended, who often feels bad
about what they did or said, and who goes on
knowing they’ve hurt someone who matters to them.
To forgive them helps them get on with their lives
and goes a long way towards renewing the
friendship. It doesn’t have to condone the offense, but
acknowledges that we’re all imperfect and we can
learn from this. I have first-hand experience with this,
on both ends. However, it isn’t always like this, and
often I’m happy to empty their ‘mailbox’ in my mind
and get beyond them, and to hell with what they
think. Still, I’d say forgiving is mostly a two-way
street, not just a personal/private matter.”
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6. Celebrating Out Loud
The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more
there is in life to celebrate.
Oprah Winfrey
Eileen Kelley celebrates that “…after finishing my
masters work in counseling last year, I started
doctoral studies in January. I took three classes, one
of which was very very challenging and was taught
by a prof who is known for not “giving” A’s. I
worked my tail off, struggled and stretched, and
learned so much…long story short…I got straight A’s
this semester, and am buoyed up about continuing in
the process. The A is icing on the cake along with the
joy of having really pushed myself and worked hard,
and DOING it!” Congratulations on this journey of
celebration, Eileen!
Share your celebrations with us – big or small,
heartful and/or cerebral, animal or human. We all
benefit when celebrations of any kind are shared. E-
ail yours to mailto:celebrations@tothesummit.com
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7. Humor: Frivolous Lawsuits
My friend Nancy Gensch sent this to me. She
wrote “Enjoy (& then throw up). And we thought the
OJ jury was nutty! This is what’s wrong with the
world (and our legal system):”
1. January 2000: Kathleen Robertson of Austin Texas
was awarded $780,000.00 by a jury of her peers after
breaking her ankle tripping over a toddler who was
running amuck inside a furniture store. The owners
of the store were understandably surprised at the
verdict, considering the misbehaving tyke was Ms.
Robertson’s son.
2. June 1998: A 19 year old Carl Truman of Los
Angeles won $74,000.00 and medical expenses when
his neighbor ran his hand over with a Honda Accord.
Mr. Truman apparently didn’t notice someone was at
the wheel of the car whose hubcap he was trying to
steal.
3. October 1998: A Terrence Dickson of Bristol
Pennsylvania was exiting a house he finished robbing
by way of the garage. He was not able to get the
garage door to go up, because the automatic door
opener was malfunctioning. He couldn’t re-enter the
house because the door connecting the house and
garage locked when he pulled it shut. The family was
on vacation, so Mr. Dickson found himself locked in
the garage for eight days. He subsisted on a case of
Pepsi he found, and a large bag of dry dog food. This
upset Mr. Dickson, so he sued the homeowner’s
insurance claiming the situation caused him undue
mental anguish. The jury agreed to the tune of half a
million dollars and change.
4. October 1999: Jerry Williams of Little Rock
Arkansas was awarded $14,500.00 and medical
expenses after being bitten on the buttocks by his
next door neighbor’s beagle. The beagle was on a
chain in it’s owner’s fenced-in yard, as was Mr.
Williams. The award was less than sought after
because the jury felt the dog may have been
provoked by Mr. Williams who, at the time, was
shooting it repeatedly with a pellet gun.
5. May 2000: A Philadelphia restaurant was ordered to
pay Amber Carson of Lancaster, Pennsylvania
$113,500.00 after she slipped on a spilled soft drink
and broke her coccyx. The beverage was on the floor
because Ms. Carson threw it at her boyfriend 30
seconds earlier during an argument.
6. December 1997: Kara Walton of Claymont,
Delaware successfully sued the owner of a night club
in a neighboring city when she fell from the
bathroom window to the floor and knocked out her
two front teeth. This occurred while Ms. Walton was
trying to sneak through the window in the ladies
room to avoid paying the $3.50 cover charge. She was
awarded $12,000.00 and dental expenses.
7. And just so you know that cooler heads do
occasionally prevail: Kenmore Inc., the makers of
Dorothy Johnson’s microwave, were found not liable
for the death of Mrs. Johnson’s poodle after she gave
it a bath and attempted to dry it by putting the poor
creature in her microwave for, “just a few minutes, on
low,” The case was quickly dismissed.
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Give yourself the gift of doing and being rather than
trying this week.
Namaste, Margo
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Hiring a Life Coach is a great way to be supported in
taking the steps that will lead you to your own
dreams. Margo has a few slots open for motivated
clients who want to shift from, “I like my life,” to, “I
love my life!!!” Visit our website at
https://www.tothesummit.com for additional
resources and tools. To schedule a consultation, send
an e-mail to mailto:margo@tothesummit.com
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Copyright © 2002, all rights reserved, by Margo
Chisholm
I invite you to share Celebrating the Journey with
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at mailto:margo@tothesummit.com.
—
Come to the edge, life said.
They said: We are afraid.
Come to the edge, life said.
They came.
It pushed them…
And they flew.
Gulliaume Apollinaire
Margo Chisholm
Life Coach, Life Counselor
Partnering you in having success, freedom, and
joy in all areas of your life.
970-704-9336
margo@tothesummit.com
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