associates, inc.How High is the Price?
This year 16 Sherpa guides died on Mt. Everest in the worst disaster of climbing history. The cost of climbing Mt. Everest in the Himalayas can reach as much as $100K for serious “climbing tourists.” But the human cost is much higher. In the pursuit of the glory of climbing the highest mountain in the world, the pinnacle, people make enormous sacrifices in time, money and personal resources. Sure, it is great to be able to tell yourself and others that you did it. You conquered nature and your own fears and demons all in one fell swoop.
It reminds me of the price many of us have paid for pursuing our own version of: fill in the____ blank. We work to the bone in fear that we won’t make it. We give up family time, give up time for ourselves, give up the simple pleasure of walking hand-in-hand on a quiet path with a loved one, or even alone in conversation with our soul. For what? To make it. To be secure financially and emotionally in a world that appears inherently competitive, harsh, and even unsafe.
Here are a couple of quotes from the climbers who witnessed the disaster:
“I have a great plan,” he said. “I am going to go home and hug my 12-year-old. I’ve seen numerous things in my life, but nothing was ever driven home as to watch those guys on cables being brought down. “
“I have put years of my life into this. But I am going home alive. I think I’m done with the mountains. I’m going to cherish what I have and count my blessings.”
“My goal went from climbing and jumping off the mountain to raising money for the families”.
In my work with marketing and advertising executives, I see this all the time. The world of business is so competitive and challenging now that people feel compelled to give up almost everything to be successful. They see some mythical end line when they will have made it. But it is a myth. We all have already “made it.” Whatever your level of success, money, material goods, power, it is all a dream. As John Lennon taught us; life is what happens while we are making other plans. This is your life, right now, right here. Yes, it is a cliché, but it is also true. If you are reading this, please take a moment and kiss your spouse, hug your kids, call a parent or friend and tell them how much you love them. Otherwise you may find yourself on that mountain before it is too late.