How’s the view? 

POD #27: How’s the view? 
Inspired by Warren Berger’s book, A More Beautiful Question, and his consideration of McCullough’s talk, write your answers to these questions on two separate mountains: (a) the mountain you’re most focused on climbing now (could be life, relationships, career, health, artistically, etc.), and (b) the mountain you have identified wanting to climb in this next season, as you spark your bold transition in this Challenge.

• What is the mountain you’re climbing now?
• Why are you climbing it in the first place?
• What are you leaving behind, down below?
• What is waiting for you at the top?
• What are you going to do once you get there?
• Are you enjoying the climb itself? Should you slow down, speed up or otherwise make changes to the process of the climb itself?

For your upcoming climb, describe the mountain you’ve been eyeing to climb next, then answer the rest of the above questions

Right now I am climbing the mountain of self-discovery.  I recently launched my youngest child out into her own apartment.  I have known this day would come for twenty-five years, but I did not realize how little I know about myself. I have been a parent for longer than I have been an adult, so I was still in the stage of Identity vs. Confusion on Erickson’s Stages of Psychosocial development, I was jumping into Work and Parenthood. I have had little time to think about who I am.

I am forty-one years old and I want to live the last two-thirds of my life to the fullest.  In order to live to the fullest, I need to know who I am, what I want, and where I am headed.  I have been embarking on this journey slowly over the past four years as the last of my children began working and being outside of the home more.  My husband works opposite of me, so I had more down time to explore.

The only thing I am really leaving behind are the parts of me that I picked up to fulfill a role someone else needed or wanted me to fulfill.  Or things that have fulfilled their original purpose but are no longer necessary.  I want to take with me the lessons learned, but leave any pain and regret behind.

I have been enjoying the climb up to self discovery.  It hasn’t been as easy as I thought it would.  There have been a lot of rough discoveries and some deep roots that had to be dug out.  It is hard to stare at your past demons in the mirror and stop allowing yourself  to use them as an excuse.

While I believe this journey may last a lifetime,  I believe it will peak and then I will take a brief journey down the other side and begin my next journey up.  I know I will go down first, because I will not be an expert as I face the next mountain.  I will have more learning to do.

The next mountain I face will be using more of the skills, abilities, gifts and talents God has given me with purpose for His kingdom.  I want to climb this mountain because that is what He made me for and why He gave me those tools.  They are all for His glory.  Most of the mountain will be one of refining what He has already placed in me.  My current default mode is to turn to the knowledge and education I have instead of letting Him guide and direct me into greater truths.  One I get there, I am sure that God will reveal the next mountain in my journey.

Life is a series of mountains and valleys.  It is easy to get stuck focused on what looms in front of us, but when we keep our eyes on Him and focus on the next step, great things will come next.

This post is prompted by Tara-Nicholle Nelson’s 30 Day Writing Challenge for Conscious Leaders