[ so·lil·o·quy – the act of speaking one’s thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any hearers ]
Earlier on this week I posted some photographs like this on my various social media accounts with captions along the lines of…
From the top of a mountain this afternoon. A beautifully clear day in Hochgurgl – just shy of 10,000 feet above my home in Lincolnshire. What a sight.
It is quite a view isn’t it? We have been in the Austrian Alps for a week of skiing (more about that another time), my first time in the Alps, and I was totally blown away by the views across the Alps and Dolomites. I’ve been lucky enough to visit other mountain ranges before, and every time I have I’ve felt a deep sense of wonder, of being on top of the world, of knowing that I am as high as I can be. In those moments I can absolutely see why people I know have left their homes in the UK and gone to live in the mountains, and why people spend their lives hiking and climbing the world’s tallest peaks. They have such grandeur, emit such power, and poke into the sky as if to provide an invitation to dream of the stars.
Being there made me think of these two quotes I often say to myself:
“Never measure the height of a mountain until you have reached the top. Then you will see how low it was.”
Dag Hammarskjold
“Every mountain top is within reach if you just keep climbing.”
Barry Finlay
Taken by LincsGeek on Hohe Mut, Obergurgl.
I must be honest and admit that I do not know the original context of either of these quotations – I don’t know how Dag or Barry intended the sentences to be used. But for me, personally, they offer an instruction for life.
They remind me that mountains are there not to stand in our way, but to offer opportunity to rise up and see the world from the top. The are a challenge to overcome, sometimes good, sometimes bad, sometimes tough, sometimes emotional, and sometimes really easy but just needing a tad more courage than you think you’ve got at that moment.
Climbing mountains in this sense represents a challenge to live your dream. And living our dreams – or at least working our way towards them – is all part of the journey.
What are your mountains – your challenges – at the moment? What dream are you working towards? Tell me about your mountain experiences.
Life is all about the journey. Go climb your mountain and take in the view from the top.