 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 December My Mount
Everest: February, 2006 Welcome to the
premier issue of my e-letter. If this weren't a
graphically challenged e-letter, it would have
pictures of fireworks, confetti and balloons. Oh
well, you'll just have to picture it. I guess a good place to
start is by explaining the title. People that climb
Mt. Everest don't do it as a vocation, they don't
do it to improve their vocation. Climbing Mt.
Everest has no noticeable connection to the main
road of their life. They climb Mt. Everest to
challenge themselves. It's appeal is that it is so
different from their lives. Another appeal is it has a
clearly definable beginning and end. The commitment
ends with the end of the journey. Plus it is
clearly a stretch, a challenge; it requires
preparation and follow through and fortitude
(guts). Frankly, I never understood the appeal. It
seemed pointless, unnecessary, useless. Well, last year I climbed
my own mountain and caught the bug. I'll tell you
more about that challenge in another issue. But the
setting out of a definable challenge of clear
beginning and end that stretches your capabilities
is frightening, exhilarating, absorbing and a
definite boost of confidence. This e-letter is this
year's Mt. Everest. I am planning a monthly
publication that will evolve as I go. Along the
way, I would like to add one article by another
voice, so if you have any ideas about who (yourself
included) would be a good guest article writer, let
me know. In fact, just let me know ñ any
facts, reactions, impressions. I love the feed
back. Ultimately, I want to write
a book, and the e-letters are to loosen me up and
to develop material. The book is next year's Mt.
Everest. Actually, this Mt. Everest concept is
catching on with me and I am multi tasking Mt.
Everests -- I'm challenging myself in a few areas.
But I can only handle talking about this one right
now. Pierce Brosnan, during a TV
interview, 2005
I'm writing this on the
plane to the East coast, summoned to help our son
and family. (It makes me feel so good that our kids
think of us -- my husband and I -- as part of the
solution, when there's a hint of possible trouble.)
Anyway, I was watching the in-flight entertainment
after the movie. Brook Burk was interviewing
reality show graduates. I always thought those
contestants were in search of a life, but I've come
to realize they are living their lives, climbing
their Mt. Everests. And look what it gets them;
whatever they want, a bigger world with more and
larger choices. Several have gotten TV shows. One
is investing in restaurants and using his familiar
face as entre to celebrities to finance his
gastronomic ventures. One Survivor graduate was
saying how much greater his life was after the
show. I don't think it's about
being on TV, necessarily, though it doesn't seem to
hurt. I think it's about defaulting to action. You
know, JUST DO IT. Things in motion tend to stay in
motion. It's about seeing the bigger possibilities.
It's about daring to dream. It's risking. It's
risking looking like an idiot in front of the
world. That bravery is rewarded in opportunities.
So instead of being smug
maybe we(I) should learn from these "idiots who are
making fools of themselves." Instead of
condescending, we/I should be ascending to their
sense of adventure and freedom to do something
without having to be able to predict the outcome,
which we really can't do anyway, even though we
think we can. That's it folks, I'm spent.
Please let me know your reactions. You are my beta
group: friends, family, people with various
expertise and perspectives from different parts of
my life that I think may enjoy this, and/or have
good suggestions and improvements to make. Each
month I will increase my mailing list as much as I
dare till I run out of names. So if you think of
people who would enjoy being added to the list,
please let me know. Also, let me know if you're too
busy to participate, and I will free you from
receiving these e-letters. Merle About Merle M. Singer: |