Because it is there.

English mountaineer George Mallory was once asked by a New York Times reporter why he was attempting to climb Mt. Everest for the third time; he replied, “Because it’s there.” ¹ Mallory participated in the first three British Mount Everest expeditions in the 1920s. Although Mallory and his climbing partner Andrew Irvine perished on their attempt to summit Everest, they persisted and gave it their best shot. In a 1923 New York Times interview before his third attempt at reaching the summit of Everest, Mallory made the following observation about the conquest:

“Everest is the highest mountain in the world and no person has reached its summit. Its existence is a challenge. The answer is instinctive, a part, I suppose, of humans’ desire to conquer the universe.” ¹

Whether it is summiting a mountain, running a sub-3 hours marathon, running your enterprise, or achieving your wildest dream. Achieving anything worthwhile requires taking the first step and baby steps to achieve it. As the ancient Roman Stoic philosopher Lucius Annaeus Seneca once quipped, “It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that they are difficult.” Most of the things we consider to be impossible are mainly a result of our mindset and our inability to try. It is not about the marathon run, starting the business or reaching the summit of the mountain, it is more more about what you will become in the process of your attempt.

I get asked all the time, “Why are you running many marathons?” It is tough explaining to non-runners that the marathon is run for the thrill and what one becomes in attempting the challenge. I have participated in and finished fifteen full marathons in the past two years: 2022 (six) and 2023 (nine). And anytime I finish, I still get asked, “Why do you run”? I run because the challenge is there. I run to push myself, break my previous record, use running as therapy, and run because it is good for my health and body.

There’s a story about Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to summit Mount Everest. ² When he came back down to base camp, he was met by reporters who asked him what the view was like at the top of the world. He said it was incredible, because while he was up there he saw another mountain in the Himalayan range that he hadn’t climbed yet, and he was already thinking about the route he would take to summit that peak next.

“When you reach the mountaintop, it gives you a brand new perspective on the rest of the world, on the rest of your life. You see new challenges that were out of sight before, and you see old challenges in new ways. With this huge victory now under your belt, they all become conquerable. ”

Fulfilling a dream gives you the power to see further and deeper—further out into the world toward what is possible, and deeper into yourself to what you are capable of. It’s why there are so few stories about people who have done something big then just packed their bags and moved to a private island never to be heard from again. People who think big and succeed almost always continue to push and to strive and to dream bigger. Think about the last time you did something difficult, that you were proud of. You didn’t stop doing stuff after that, did you?

Mount Everest is considered the Earth’s highest mountain above sea level, with a height of 8,848.86 m (29,031 ft 8+¹⁄₂ in). As Mallory noted in his 1924 NYT interview, “Climbing Mt. Everest is not a weekend sport.” Summiting Everest is one of the toughest challenges that anyone can attempt, as it requires physical stamina, endurance, mental fortitude, and a bit of craziness. We all have our personal Everest we all have to conquer because it is always there, which is discovering the self. As Sun Tzu noted in The Art of War, “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

Meditations

Daily Calm with Tamara Levitt – Natural Breath

When one first starts a meditation practice, breathing might feel controlled or forced. So much of life involves effort and control, so rather than forcing the breath, gently be with the breath.

Daily Jay with Jay Shetty – Types of Success

Success has many stripes; too often, our idea of achievement is about arriving at the pinnacle or being the best, most significant or most. When we look around who we consider to have made it, it’s always people who seem to be at the top spot or making the most money, championships or awards. But when we view achievement in such a limited way, it becomes something only a few can attempt. And we reckon we are unlikely to be like one of those few.

We often underestimate the value of consistent, steady work or the private satisfaction of reaching a meaningful personal goal. When we characterize success more broadly, we realize that we encounter it more often than we tend to think. Success is not static, it is not an end point but an experience. So we want to relish it whenever it happens or whatever it looks like. Even the best climbers only stand on the summit for a brief time. But you can be sure that they soak in the view.

Success isn’t one-and-done. If we can expand our perception of what it takes to succeed, then we’ll notice that it always happens. Meditation is just not a space for an elite few; it’s got room for everyone, including you. Success in meditation is simply about showing up and practicing, and the real value is in the work itself.

Daily Trip with Jeff Warren – Workflow

Podcast