Ascendant

23 May Ascendant

Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay made the first ascent of Mt. Everest in 1953. Hillary took Norgay’s photo for the history books, but refused to have his taken. Over his lifetime, Hillary achieved many ascents and medals of distinction, but reluctantly accepted fame. He climbed mountains for the challenge and thrill of it, and later devoted years to making a better life for the mountain Sherpas.

Today, there is a dustup in mountaineering because a German researcher stated that of the 44 climbers who claim to have summited all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks, only 37 have actually achieved it. The climbers in question did not reach the highest point of the mountains because of bad weather, extreme danger or fabricating their achievement. Ed Viesturs, the great American climber said, “It’s called climbing, not summiting…the point is the process.”

Ruminate on this concept as you leverage speaking to further your business, project or dream. Many gauge their accomplishments by how much money they make or the status they achieve. But it’s cold comfort to reflect on your career and think how much richer you would be if you had enjoyed the process, and brought value to others as much as yourself. It is possible to do both. Making summits is worthwhile, but what you do during and after determines true success.