Mountains to climb

Mountains to Climb

The month of June is quite a month for me....filled with birthdays, our anniversary, and not to mention Fathers Day! Thinking about the great men in my life, especially my husband Bret and my dad, I feel gratitude as I realize both of these men have lived a good part of their life to make mine better. Each of them would climb the highest summit for me. I love and pay the highest tribute to both of these great men.

As I studied this week I began to feel as though I have mountains to climb! It seems daunting that just when I begin to feel comfortable where I am, I find that I am given new challenges that force me to climb higher. My husband is great at reaching out with encouragement and is ready to travel with me on life's journey. He makes it exciting! 

I think of my dad...(Here we are together when I was little. I was born when he was 45...and it was 10 years after my other siblings).

...He had a passion for nature and it seemed he enjoyed the challenge of doing hard things. I remember him hiking the rim to rim of the Grand canyon on a back packing trip. (I guess it was on his bucket list). To make this trip, he had to prepare. He bought a back pack, a really nice mummy bag that was light as a feather and could be stuffed into a little tiny bag. He prepped his food and mapped out the trail he wanted to take.  He arranged for his drop off and where we could expect to pick him up at the end. What I remember most was that he knew of a young man who was struggling and needed a friend. Someone to offer hope and direction. My dad invited him to go on this hike. I am sure dad felt that being in nature could solve any problems in ones life. They went and had a real adventure. I remember being relieved when they made it home safely. My dad continued to mentor this young man. Although dad gave him a job and taught him a trade, I can't really say that it fixed everything. But to this very day when this now middle aged man sees me or my husband, he acknowledges a deep gratitude for my dad and the contribution dad made to his life. My dad has passed, but I believe he is still climbing mountains Just like all of us. 

So I pose this question...What do we need to climb our mountains? What do we need to prepare? What habits do we need to make or break? Where do we find our balance, our center?

What I Have Learned

I re-learned about one of my favorite words in the whole world ... "SYNERGY"! Have you ever heard someone say "We're better together?". Thats synergy. It is what happens when a young couple marry and become a family (1+1=3). It's when a team works together in such a way that the combination of their effort is greater than the sum of each individuals strength etc. I was first introduced to this word when I first read Stephen R. Covey's book The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People years ago. I was excited to review the habits that lead to solving many of life's problems as you take them step by step. I loved this concept so much that we bought Sean Coveys books for our children The 7 Habits of Happy Children, and The 7 Habits for Highly Effective Teens. See these plus more here. Sean is Steven R. Coveys son. An inspiring athlete, author and person. Learn more about Sean and his dad here.

I learned from Pres. Gordon B. Hinkley that we should stand true in all that we do. To be honest and pure, inside and out. That what we say or do represents who we are and reflects our level of intellect.

I learned from Guy Kawaski, that "money is not all that it is cracked up to be." and that it  is OK to lighten the load and enjoy life as you go.

I've learned that mastery is the a journey of the learner. George Leonard in his book Mastery, shares 5 Master Keys to help us on this journey:

1. Instruction- you need quality instruction.
2. Practice- Through repetition you learn, making good things a practice helps in your daily walk and keeps you in alignment helping you to stay on the path.
3. Surrender- To always being a learner...No matter how much you know and share...there is always more to learn.
4. Intentionality- To have vision. To have a clear vision of what you want to do or be or accomplish and then trust your efforts and abilities to do it.
5. The Edge- To be willing to take all of your instruction, your practice, your teachability, and your vision to a supersized level of performance...risking, at times, your health, your record, maybe a bit of your sanity to reach further to do better, greater things. (I automatically think of Olympians.)

Leonard also gives you tools that include warnings to help along the way and sums it up with a packing list for the journey. His experience with the art of Aikido, has sparked my interest. I hope to learn more. I tried some of the exercises he gives in the book...they are amazing!

What I Have Yet to Learn

• Well...Obviously a lot because I sort of didn't do well on my quiz. I maybe took it too early. I felt I had to because of the time I needed to be "grandma" this week. ( New baby...remember?) I knew what made sense to me on the quiz, but sometimes it seems like there is a battle between common sense and exact wording in the material. I will work on doing better.
• Still trying to find a vision of my true life mission. I have so many things I am passionate about that at times I feel paralyzed.
• I still need to not set off my panic button. I did some yoga today and I feel it really helped me center before I began my studies.
• I have yet to learn to be happy taking one step at a time, trusting that I will be guided to what I need to be doing in my life. Right now it is school, and so far the Lord has parted many waters for me to be where I am.

Spiritual Insights

Every step we take on our path, our journey in life we are given the agency to choose our actions and the means behind them. When I travel with the desire to help others along the way, in a manner of humility and desire to do good, I am on the path of mastery. I can find the greatest instruction from God and choose to serve him.

Josua 24:15

"...Choose you this day whom ye will serve...as for me and my house We will serve the Lord."

Goals

• Break down organizing into small doable tasks....choose 3 this week to work on.
• Don't eat before 9:00 a.m. and after 7:00 p.m.
• Make a 2 week dinner menu
• Get ready for my"Tuesday Night Cooking Experiment!" I just found out new people are coming!