There’s something about being afraid, about being small, about enforced humility that draws me to climbing. – Jon Krakauer
Jon Krakauer is a writer and mountaineer. Presumably, his quote is in reference to mountain climbing.
When I read it, however, my thoughts turned to the universal concept of Fear, its role in life, and the ladder that has been the subject of the last three blogs.
I felt comfortable on the second step. It was not too high off the ground and, after all, since humility was acceptance of God’s will, it was something I wanted to do; something I would be proud to accomplish.
After falling repeatedly, I managed to climb back up to the second step and move on to the third. – Excerpt from “I’m Afraid”
Patience and humility, I think, are not inherent in human nature; rather, they are learned, imposed, or freely chosen.
Throughout my life, I have gained humility by all three methods, but never for long.
It has been my experience that humility, like patience, is elusive and damn near impossible to hold on to, let alone master.
This you may surmise by the attempt at self-ridicule in the first paragraph of today’s excerpt from my memoir.
There is a reason why patience and humility are the first two steps of my ladder: they were intentionally designed to be close to the ground so that the countless times I fell off them would prevent me from hurting myself too seriously.
So too, whether climbing a mountain or a ladder, patience and humility are essential first steps to success.
I offer these thoughts for your consideration.
Communication, I believe, is the key to understanding one another.
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The saga continues in my next blog.
Do Not Be Afraid!!!