6 Life Lessons Mountains Had Taught Me

6 Lessons on What Mountains Want You To Know About Life

 

(…or 6 lessons mountains have taught me about my life that might help you with yours.)

Mt. Manalmon, Summit

 

You might be thinking, “What? Besides the fact that there was a life before WiFi, smartphones, selfies and makeup transformations?“ or for some of you “Really? There WAS a life before WiFi, smartphones, selfies and makeup transformations?!”

Stay with me here. Let me share a few life lessons I’ve learned as a non-professional mountain climber-hiker-hobbyist noob. I’ll make it more fascinating with vivid photos of some mountains in the Philippines that I’ve been to. Okay, kids? Here we go!

 

6 Life Lessons Mountains Had Taught Me

 

6. Don’t judge a mountain by its rocky start (or super steep clamber).

 

Tarak Ridge

 

Oftentimes, we discourage ourselves from even attempting to begin something because we’ve already decided that the process would be grueling and the outcome, ugly. When we muster the courage to start and go past our initial judgment, though, we realize that the journey wasn’t as debilitating as we thought it would be (if at all), and that having done it made us appreciate the result more – that oh-so-magnificent result.

 Tarak Ridge, Summit

5. It’s always darkest before the dawn.

 

Mt. Pulag, Summit, waiting for the sunrise

 

It’s usually translated as “things seem to get worse before they get better”. I don’t think that’s true. I believe that it means this – there is hope even in the worst of circumstances. There’s no need to focus on darkness or to go looking for it. The sun will always rise anyway.

 

 

4. The grass is greener where you water it.

 

Mt. Batulao

 

And quite possibly, where you let sunshine smile. Simply put, abundance flows where attention goes. Do you find yourself thinking kind and happy thoughts most of the time? Or quite the opposite?

3. Being alone is not similar to being lonely.

 

Mt. Sembrano

 

I haven’t done this, but it must be elating to travel alone. However, sometimes, people tend to associate solitude with being incomplete. As Oprah has eloquently put it, though, “Don’t wait for someone else to complete you. ‘Jerry Maguire’ was just a movie.” Yes, you complete you. A healthy, solid relationship is made of two healthy, whole individuals (or fairly whole) coming together. In other words, love yourself. (Whut?! Did I really  learn that from mountain climbing?)

2. It’s perfectly okay to need directions (and to admit you need them).

 

Tarak Ridge

 

If life came with a guidebook, I’d probably order one. But it doesn’t. Luckily, we can get help from other people through the footprints (or stone signs) they leave behind. Oh, and we also have that internal GPS – our intuition.

 

 

1. Friends can make the climb worthwhile, but mostly, it’s the climb.

 

Mt. Romelo

 

Sorry. I couldn’t resist the reference, but you probably saw that coming.

Friends (and family) certainly make the journey more exciting and more colorful. More importantly, the climb strengthens the relationship even more.

And that my friends, is a wrap. Now tell me, is there a life lesson or tidbit that you wanna share? Share away in the comments below and visit me at Pinay Health Junkie.

 

 

6 Lessons on What Mountains Want You To Know About Life