By Joan M. Blake author.
Does anyone have mountains they need to climb? I was praying early this morning when I visualized myself standing at the bottom of a large mountain and realized that I had a choice to make: either stand there or find a way to climb up that mountain. Since I will never climb an actual mountain, my visualization was metaphorically related to a mountain of life- issues that I face.
Let us discuss the preparation involved in climbing a real mountain, and see how those tools can help us deal with our mountains of real life-issues. Aiming to climb a mountain calls for getting the needed training to enhance strength and perseverance. Looking at a youtube Alpine training video, I learned that training includes weighted step up, weighted sit ups and side bends to help your legs, lungs and core.
Weighted step up improves your symmetry and balance, fixes muscle size imbalances and strength imbalances. Weighted sit up improves and strengthen your core muscles. The Dumbbell side bends work the muscles of the trunk, particularly the deep spine muscles, help contribute to a stronger core, reduce the risk of back pain and improve functional movements such as a serving a tennis ball or carrying a heavy object on one side of the body. It is recommended that the three workouts be combined and practiced three times per week, a month or two from your climb.
How can we translate the tools used in preparing for mountain climbing to the tasks of dealing with a mountain of life-issues that we face? In order to prepare, we need to step up to the challenges that we face by putting some things in place and establishing a routine of practicing. If you are facing financial problems, seek out a financial expert to help you plan, balance your budget, or pay off your debt. Put the tools that you have learned into practice. To obtain a new job, you must prepare yourself for an interview. If you are changing careers, you must prepare for that new career by going through a course of study. If you are having relationship issues, get help to deal with the issues at hand. If you are dealing with overweight, begin to plan healthier meals, do more walking, weight and strength training to put your body in balance.
While I have worked on exercising and eating healthy foods, I have found a few areas that I need to work on. I have to put aside more time to write in my journal daily. With respect to my books, I can no longer stay dormant, but I must put together, a marketing plan so that my books could get in the hands of more readers. In the case of Christian Resource Network, a non-profit organization that I founded, and which had been dormant, I need to plan ahead and establish programs to help people in need. Regardless of our issues, we need to move forward with inner strength. We can no longer worry about being at the bottom of our mountains, because according to Edmund Hilary, it is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.