It was a cold, April morning as I woke up in Manang, a small village high in the Himalayas. It was an acclimatisation day, meant to help our bodies adjust to the altitude. I planned to hike to the Ice lake some 1000 metres above Manang. I hadn’t packed lightly as most people do, because I planned to leave my backpack at a hotel for the night, but those plans fell through, so I was heading up with all my gear. I struggled that day and I was the last one to make it to the top. The scenery at the ice lake was breathtaking so I sat down for a while. While walking down I passed a teahouse where the owner was preparing to close it up and go down since the storm was coming. We sat down, drank some mint tea and buckthorn juice and shared stories. He was surprised I made it to the top so I told him that I am always pushing my limits and never giving up. He shared some personal stories about his family – a son and a daughter, which help him make bracelets. I bought two – one for myself and one for my son.
A year went by and I was climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa. The rainy season started early so I had a tough time climbing up. It was late October, and I missed part of the climb due to heavy rainfall and a rockslide blocking our road. A day before our final push, we went over Baranco wall and the rain was pouring like anything I have seen before. I was soaking wet, as were all my clothes. It was the lowest point of my climb and I was almost ready to give up. Fortunately, my clothes eventually dried up enough for me to walk towards the last camp before the summit. We slept when we got there to have a summit push at midnight. After a night of walking we summited Mount Kilimanjaro and enjoyed the most beautiful sunrise I have ever seen in my life.
Whether you’re facing tough conditions in the mountains or challenges in business, the obstacles may make you question why you began in the first place. But just like each difficult step brings you closer to your goal, every challenge at work is an opportunity to grow stronger and more resilient.
In life just like in business – you should never give up. I know it’s tough sometimes. Your team is not working as you expect them to (keep in mind we are all humans with our ups and downs). Maybe you’re feeling under the weather and cannot give your 100% – be honest to yourself and your team and it will pay off. You might think that a task you’ve been given is an impossible one – but remember the engineers putting a man on the moon when they had to program everything using technology less advanced than what’s on our smartwatches today.
What I’m trying to say – anything is possible if we focus and believe in it. Yes, sometimes giving up is the option, but most of the times we thrive when we challenge ourselves, the greatest growth happens when we step outside our comfort zone.
I learned at my own pace, but perhaps you can do it faster and, in the process, make the world a better place.
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