Climbing is  important.  It doesn’t matter if you start from the middle, top or bottom.

We face a steep cliff.  Everybody  approaches the climb in their own way.  Some are thrown down a rope ladder, some use only their hands to scale life’s hurdles, some are born at the top, some have just a rope thrown down, some spend their life building steps up to the top.  Each has their own sense of urgency to climb as well; some frantically claw away in vain at the vertical wall standing between them and success.  Some try, then realize that the climb is not as important as the solid foundation they came from and don’t want to spend their whole life trying something they don’t believe can be accomplished.  Some are happy with a rock ledge half way up big enough to support them and their loved ones.  Some spend their life building a set of stairs to a platform part way up that others can climb up to easily.  Some climb their rope ladder and cut it to save more room for themselves at the top, forgetting the ladder was once thrown to them.

What is the top anyway?  We decide what the top is.  For some there isn’t such a thing; there is only higher and higher.  For some it is a lifelong goal.  For some it is simply a state of mind, realizing that the “top” is no higher than the “bottom”, that every top and bottom is a figment of imagination and happiness comes from within.  Isn’t that the purpose of success anyway: happiness?

Some make it to the “top” and find the top is not what they expected and wished they were on the “bottom”  but their ladders have been cut by themselves.  Some arrive at their “top” and realize that the climb itself was actually their “top”.  Some are able to walk up and down their sturdy staircases they spent their whole life meticulously building.

Where, what and why is your top?  How will you get there and who will you bring along?