Few things hurt like we thought they would.
The speech you were dreading to give. The infamous flu shot. The 15 year mortgage. Pausing for breakfast. And maybe the most avoided of all, vulnerability.
It’s those things we didn’t see coming in our peripheral that bear the most pain.
Awareness, we need you.
The reason we gawk at mountains, get lost in the stars, and are taken away by the crashing of ocean waves is because they read us…they reflect something that is true deep in our core…they encourage us to come and climb, to shine, and to sail.
The richness that I’ve been able to claim in this world is the divine allurement of life, family, and business. They’re my mountains, galaxies, and oceans.
They carry a tone of exploration. They have a theme of discovery. They are a bouquet of beauty.
What do you feel on the inside looking while looking at the outside of mountains?
What do you hear in the cosmos?
Where are you taken as the waves slam your skin?
Now ask these same questions looking at your life, family, and business.
Climb.
Shine.
Sail.
Breathe.
Repeat.
…but they also don’t hold all the answers to the questions we should be asking.
What if you started to count what can’t be counted?
The soul doesn’t lie either.
I recently heard one of my heros, Matt Chandler, state that ‘most things that are not fought for are never had.’
These words rang a bell with me.
Unfortunately, the only way to coast is downhill and chances are what we all truly want out of our lives, families, and businesses is going to require an uphill battle, resistance, and a climb of some sort.
I’ve said this before, but I believe it’s worth repeating. The reason we gawk at mountains is due in part to us being able to hear their plea for us to come and climb them.
May we be battle responsive in-lieu of being battle oblivious. The only thing better than the view atop Mt. Everest is the fulfillment one holds.
#HowThingsAre
Ashton.Gustafson 