One way to look at our lives is like climbing the staircase of a multi-storey building without using the elevators. No matter where you are on the stairs, if you have not reached the top, there is always one more tread to climb. And, unless you’ve reached the roof, there is always one more level to go. The effort you used to get to the present tread won’t help you to get to the next, or the next, and so on. Each time you must summon up new motivation, determination and strength to get from one tread to the other and from one level to the next.
Everyone knows it’s easier going down and while you are going up, you are always bound to see someone going down. Other people have reached higher levels but got too complacent—they have climbed the stairs and believe this is where they want to be. While they are in a better situation than those going down, they have lost the drive and motivation that got them to where they are today.
People who fall usually have a greater will to rise again and to go even further than people who have settled into a pattern that they feel comfortable doing—complacency is stagnation at best. They have a false sense of security that can be very destructive, if interrupted. We must always be wary of any aspect of our lives in which we have stagnated, unless it’s a conscious choice, such as when you decide to retire.
For those who are climbing persistently, a word of caution: make sure the staircase you’re climbing is in the right building! And, if there are multiple stairs, make sure to choose the right one that will take you where you want to go! These two precautionary notes relate to planning and evaluating, which are critical for you to get where you want to. If you have doubt: stop climbing and evaluate your position carefully. Don’t let the fact that you have invested a lot to get where you are be a deterrent to start over, if you’re on the wrong path. Continuing along such a path would be disillusioned and providing only a false sense of progress that will only get you to a point of no return.
Don’t be like the many people who spend years climbing the wrong stairs, because they were too busy trying to get to the top— they missed their marks totally and became despondent. Instead of a euphoric and triumphant shout when they reach the top, they are barely able to choke out a whimper because of their disappointment.