This week a memory came up on my Facebook feed – it was 4 years ago that I went on my epic 19 day trek to Everest Base Camp! I’m sure some of you will remember it well – a trip that will be imprinted in my mind forever, the trip that really started my path towards changing my Mindset and transforming my life. It’s hard to put into words the journey, sense of achievement and humbling experience it was.
But as I was wandering down memory lane, I remembered the altitude sickness and how quickly it came on, and what I wanted to share with you today were the lessons I learnt from that.
It was the final day before reaching base camp and we had arrived at our destination early in the afternoon. It had been a slow hard trek; as we climbed ever higher, the air was getting thinner and we had had to slow the pace down, drink plenty of water and rest as we slowly and carefully continued to ascend. At this stage I had a banging headache, but, at this height, I and most of the others had had banging headaches for quite a few days now, so it wasn’t unusual. It was suggested that we could do an extra hike up the neighbouring peak as the views were supposed to be awesome. Although I wasn’t feeling great, I was desperate to go and see the views as I knew this would be the only opportunity to do this.
We started off and things were fine at first, but only an hour or so in, my head started to feel like it would explode! I slowed down, kept drinking and continued. One of our lovely guides had decided to walk with me and soon he was carrying my backpack – I didn’t ask, he insisted. It wasn’t long before he kept making me stop and drink more water, but the dizziness was hitting now and walking was extremely difficult. I asked my guide for his opinion and he said that he wanted to take me back down. Obviously, I didn’t want to go, we were so close to the top, but he was firm and clear – if I wanted to make it to Everest Base Camp tomorrow, I needed to go down now, rest, drink more and I would be fine in the morning. If I didn’t, he told me I wouldn’t make it and someone would have to go down with me (leaving the rest of the group vulnerable). He told me he’d seen it many times before, and I should listen to him!
Needless to say, I listened to him, went down, rested, drank and felt back to normal the next day – albeit the usual banging headache – and completed the trek to base camp.
The reason for me sharing this with you is because it made me wonder how so many of us could use that piece of information in our lives.
Instead of trying to either do everything for ourselves or feel that we have to know everything, why don’t we get help? Why are we reluctant to get someone who has more knowledge than us to do that? Isn’t it more sensible that we seek the help of those who know more than us?
Sounds obvious I know, but I meet so many people that struggle with this. I know many entrepreneurs who are running their own small business and insist on doing everything themselves, even when it is clearly not their skill set. It’s not long before they feel stressed and overwhelmed.
I know what I am great at and that’s what I do, the areas I’m not great in, I get others to do for me. The areas where I want more guidance, I find mentors and do courses, I listen to those who are more knowledgable than me in those areas.
By doing this, it allows me as a person and business to grow and expand, otherwise I too would remain stuck.
But, this is not just aimed at entrepreneurs, what about YOU, where are you stuck in your life? Where are you not prepared to seek the help you need to move forwards? If you don’t take this step, nothing changes, but you don’t just remain stuck, I believe it’s more like we go backwards.
Think of it this way: if you are in a car going uphill, if you have your foot on the accelerator you will keep going up the hill, but if you take your foot off the accelerator, you don’t just stop, you start to roll back down the hill!
If I hadn’t listened to my wonderful guide that day (who was far more knowledgeable on altitude sickness than me), I wouldn’t have continued uphill towards my ultimate goal of Everest Base Camp, but I would have been going all the way back down hill.
The choice is always yours 🙂