Climbing Your Mountains

This month, we went on holiday to the Peak District. It’s a place I have always wanted to visit since watching Lizzie Bennet standing on a rock looking out over the beautiful scenery in Derbyshire in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.

Unfortunately, my aging body wasn’t up to climbing Ramshaw Rocks, but I set myself a goal of reaching the top of Mam Tor, another location with sweeping views of the countryside.

It hurt.

Hikers and runners passed swiftly by as I laboured up the steps, pausing frequently to admire the views, take some photos, and more importantly, catch my breath.

But I did it. I reached the top, and was rewarded with stunning vistas of hills, trees, and valleys. It was glorious, and I was so proud of myself for battling through my pain and making it to the top.

The downside was that I had to come back down again, which is often an even bigger struggle.

We may not have to climb a literal mountain today, but we all face our own metaphorical ones. It could be starting a new job, embarking on a complex project, making that difficult telephone call, or even just getting out of bed.

Life is full of challenges and difficult situations, all of them different. Many times, we think about giving in or giving up. But when we bite the bullet and struggle on, there is a huge sense of achievement when we finally reach our goal.

I have written before about my battles with depression, when surviving another day was a success. It was hard. It hurt. But I did it and can look back at that time and honour the woman who finally made it through.

I also think back to being a new mother with a baby that only slept for 45 mins day and night, and who wanted to be held constantly. My biggest achievements then were getting dressed and cleaning my teeth.

I had set my expectations far too high and hadn’t factored in changes in circumstances or levels of tiredness. It meant that I was constantly berating myself for not doing more. I called myself lazy and stupid for not being able to maintain the same level of successes as I had before. I was horrible to myself. How I wish I could go back and give myself a hug and tell my younger self how well she was actually doing.

Going through those struggles means that I understand those who are still climbing. Who look up at the seemingly never-ending steps and want to sit down and give up. None of us know the battles others are facing, or the mountains they are trying to climb. That is why we should be kind to those we meet, especially those who are fretful and short-tempered. Focus on supporting and encouraging. Build people up rather than tear them down. Smile and be patient.

Whatever your mountain is today, I urge you to keep going, even when it’s tough and you don’t know if you can take another step. Because the view from the top is stunning.