IT WAS a slow walk-up Mount Gul’um step by step until I reached the summit recently. There had been overnight rain followed by morning sunshine with the rain drops sparkling on the needles of the casuarinas. As I reached the summit looking towards the ocean, I could feel a chill in the air with a gentle breeze blowing.
What an adventure! Which is so close to home – we have this amazing national park mountain that attracts locals and visitors alike. I like to climb and just take in nature listening to the birds, the sound of the breezes through the trees, and I take deep breaths of the intoxicatingly clean air in a walking meditation.
I remember ‘Climb Every Mountain’ was a song from ‘The Sound Of Music’ musical and the lyrics are a metaphor for life. The need to follow our dreams with determination, enjoying the good times and meeting challenges as they arise. This requires persistence, passion and empathy for other beings.
Step by step and with the breath is the way to achieve a happy life and being in the moment.
Life will throw a myriad of things at us which we will have no control over. We can make choices but many of these challenges are unforeseen and if we have love, compassion and kindness as our guides it puts these times into perspective.
In “The War for Kindness” psychologist Zaki talks about kindness as a source of strength. He argues that “empathy is not a fixed trait from birth and rather a skill we can strengthen”. By building relationships and empathy in our culture we can have truly supportive world communities. The challenges will come and go, although the future is bright.
Enjoy your communities and nature’s gifts.