 My Mt. Everest is a metaphor for including in your life fun, recreational activities that challenge your fear and strengthen your courage. It's a sure way to develop your "courage muscle." First, Your Mt. Everest. Then, the world.
Newsletters: 2009 2008 2007 September 2006 November My Mount
Everest: December, 2006 Charles Kingsley
I will have an Internet
presence in 2007. That is my New Year's
resolution, my 2007 goal. So, now I'm will have to
endure my own inadequacies until they become
adequacies. The technical parts of the Internet -
putting up websites, etc. are better learned than
left completely to others to do for you. I have no
experience - and have a beginner's
impatience. I will have an Internet
presence in 2007. I make that declaration to you. I
am at the 85% mark and this last 15% is exceedingly
uncomfortable. Comfort, ah,
comfort. Comfort was highly regarded
in my house. I grew up in the East where you may
freeze outside, but you roast inside. My mother
kept the house at 80 degrees. If you had to wear a
sweater in the house, it meant you were too poor to
be able to heat your house. And it wasn't just
about the nouveau middle class; it was about
comfort. I never connected all the dots till
recently (like right now), but that orientation was
very dominant in my early years.. I remember as a young
person - teens - saying to myself with my usual
amount of self wisdom (ha ha) that I resolved not
to do anything that put a knot in my stomach. That
knot was a signal to me that I shouldn't be doing
it; it was 'uncomfortable'. It wasn't until
President Jack Kennedy introduced the need for
daily exercise for everyone that the concept of "no
pain no gain" came to the public consciousness. My
adolescence, however, slightly preceded that
influence. Comfort was still king for
me. I married a man who was
very much like my father; it was comfortable. And
although, I always aspired to be independent with
an independent career, I never did go on to law
school as I had considered doing. Why? Regardless
of the reason I told myself, the true reason was it
scared me. It gave me a knot in my stomach. It made
me 'uncomfortable'. Then a very memorable time
that I challenged that assumption was when I was
working as a financial planner/ life insurance and
annuity representative. I had difficulty making
presentations to aggressive prospects who presented
with great authority. Even when it was clear to me
that they were misinformed, and I couldn't find the
words or the confidence to set them straight. It
was very 'uncomfortable' for me. In fact, it was
even more uncomfortable than joining Toastmasters
(to learn public speaking) - and still I couldn't
do that without the push of a friend who joined
with me. That was the beginning
of a whole new part of my life - a life of
regularly recurring discomfort other than from
working out. I was now really familiar "with no
pain, no gain." Giving speeches, especially at the
beginning, was terrifying. It was terrifying even
though I used to teach and felt a certain ease in
front of a room &endash;of kids. In Toastmasters, I learned
the value of discomfort. I wasn't really thinking
about it. I was doing it. In retrospect, that is
where I practiced the concept of finding My Mt
Everest to climb. Yes, the value for me is
not that I climbed a mountain, but that I faced
fear, I trusted (though barely) the future minute.
I trusted myself and I more than survived. I was
creating a courage habit. It wasn't about a
particular habit. It's about the satisfaction that
fills me when I keep my word to myself. If I can
endure discomfort and keep my self commitments, I
can do anything, If I can do anything, I
don't have to rush and get impatient and quit. I
can afford to endure the time it takes in purgatory
till 'my case is heard' and I reach my goal. I can
wait because I can endure discomfort and keep my
commitment to my own self. In the same way that I kept
my word to do this e - letter all year. Just like I
appeared as a comedian at the Comedy Store and
Hollywood Improv. Just like I committed to work
with Jay Aaron and help him create his Guerrilla
Marketing Masters project and book and am doing
that. I've practiced Hsin Tao for 15 then 20
minutes for 80 days so far this year. I've eaten a
healthy diet for 61 days so far this year. I've
kept a record of my activities (trust me, that is
painful) for 45 days. (I did it for 27 days and
fell off the wagon and have been back on for 45
day.) Trust me folks, this is not
about bragging. This is about telling myself. And
it seems the best way for me to tell myself so that
there's a chance that I hear me is to tell you.
Talk about triangulation. So here I am in a good
position to accomplish my goal of 2007 to create a
web presence for myself. I'm 85% there. What do I have to be on
the look out for that could hamper my
progress?? Of course, self confidence,
the inner core strength kind, needs constant
practice. Also, the technicalities, the actual
getting the site up, being able to make changes,
getting the video of my comedy routine up on the
net, all slow me down and discourage me. That's it. You see in front
of you the accomplishments and challenges of Merle
M Singer - naked and raw - and excited and eager to
move forward to an exciting 2007. And you? About Merle M. Singer: |