In 1953 Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay set out to conquer what was then the impossible climb to the top of Mount Everest.
Before 1953, there had been many expeditions amounting to over a dozen deaths including men from Hillary’s previous climb. After Hillary’s most recent failed attempt he was heard speaking to Mount Everest saying,
I will come again and conquer you because as a mountain you can’t grow, but as a human, I can.
Time passed, and they were ready to make another climb. Before Hillary and Norgay ascended the Mount Everest again they were asked that after the financial costs, all the lives lost, and failed attempts, why keep trying? To this Hillary replied,
It is not the mountain we conquer, it is ourselves.
I’m learning that my biggest challenge I face in life is looking myself in the mirror and facing my own demons/mountains. Conquering ourselves, as Hillary puts it, and realizing that we as humans grow to surpass our mountains is a personal journey, but we don’t have to walk it alone.
As feel-good as these quotes from Sir Edumnd Hillary are, for me they have lead to action and execution. I’m sure if Hillary and Norgay were alive today they would not just read memes and stories about climbing, but actually strap on their gear are go. So thank you for reading, and I hope this story hits home for you as it has for me. However, more importantly I hope you now take action. Know your mountain, and continue to make your climb.
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