Climbing High

What is the ultimate goal that we can achieve? Is it money and things? Or is it items that money cannot buy? Like happiness, peace of mind, and truly feeling at peace with who we have become?

The first half of my life I chased money. Even when I said money wasn’t the most important thing my actions proved otherwise. At the peak of one of my material climbs I lived in a seven-bedroom house on an acre of land with a horse corral. That huge lavish house was not a home.

We walk, talk, and move in a world of media madness. Most of the messages being sent tell us that we need pills to save us, toys to play with, new things to wear, and that alcohol leads to happiness. If that last item were true, all alcoholics would be happy campers.

To become a happy camper we must be very clear on several things. The first thing is that pills don’t cure anything. They may alleviate the pain and they often mask the problem, but in the end, all most pills have done is make someone feel better about a worsening condition. True health is a much different matter.

The second thing I believe important to know is that alcohol numbs the mind. Most of what I received from my years of drinking was higher opinions of poorer performances. One beer the night before takes the sharp edge off your mind. Have you ever tried to tackle challenging tasks with a hangover?
The third thing to know is that the finest outfit doesn’t improve the person. While first impressions set the stage, lasting impressions cannot be faked. A flaky self-centered fool in a thousand dollar suit is still a self-centered flaky fool.

The fourth thing important to know is that joy from toys is short-lived. To achieve sustained joy, the type of joy that matters, we must be willing students growing from the inside out. Happiness is the result of growing awareness; the never ending journey of discovering the timeless realities that have always been.

People who climb the highest do so by reading or listening to books, trying to make sense of the “oldest truths.” There are no new truths.

If you don’t know where to start, send me an email request for a book list.