My sister called today. She's working on a presentation and wants to quote me.
“You want to what?” I asked.
“Quote you,” she said.
Such a thing has never been done before.
(Well, actually it has. Once when I was giving a Relief Society lesson I quoted something from a previous talk. It made me giggle to quote myself, --and everyone else too. But it was kind of cool.)
“You know,” she said, “about the mountain thing.”
So I emailed her a quote-—not mine but Henry B. Eyring’s. It is one of my all-time favorite quotes that I have used many times. It gives me a vision of what is really going on here, and how I need to respond to it.
"We are like mountaineers, bound to each other as children of God."
We are all trying to reach the summit of eternal life.
We cannot climb by stepping on one another, or by pushing each other down, for in doing that we all fall down.
We must work together, help each other, lift one another.
But no, that wasn’t it. She really did want to quote me. She likes my philosophy of life.
For what it’s worth, this is how I see it:
Life, it seems to me, is like climbing a mountain. The longer you live, the higher you climb. The higher you climb, the more you see. The more you see, the greater your vision. The greater your vision, the greater your understanding.
The ascent is hard work, it demands a lot of us, and it’s mostly uphill.
Often we are looking ahead, focusing on how hard the climb is and how far we have to go. Sometimes all we see is the daily laboring up the hill.
Sometimes we should stop and look back and see how far we’ve come. Pausing at plateaus helps us rest, enjoy the new view, and remember the journey and it's lessons. Journals are good for that.
People that are older than you, like parents or leaders, may not be smarter than you, but they are higher up the mountain. They have seen more. Their vision is greater. And they can help guide you safely up the trail.
Some people will stay in the valley, afraid or not willing to make the climb. Others will plod slowly, or take divergent paths; some will pause a long time on plateaus. But to those who are willing to take the high road, the vistas are out of this world.
And you can quote me on that.
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6 comments:
How nice to be quoted. Michelle quoted you on her blog a couple days ago. You're pretty famous within our blogging circle. We enjoy your wisdom and wit. This mountain quote is just another great one to add to all your other great insights.
I think what makes your blog so brilliant is that it resounds with truth that gets you right where it matters most, but in a good way not a condemning way! I SO needed to hear that some people stay on the plateu for a long time but others brave the climb and reap the rewards because I am hanging out on the plateu! Time to relace those hiking shoes! Thanks for sharing your bigger vision!
I think I'm going to have to print that out and put it where I can see it on a daily basis. I will quote you on that!
I quoted you too. I can see you have a lot of things to say that are quote-worthy. I second what Jenn says -- inspiring, but not chastising. You make me want to do better. Just like -- are you ready for this? -- President Hinckley! makes me feel.
Wow, another first: to be put in the same category as Pres. Hinckley. I'm duly honored. Thanks!
I sit at my desk at work, blinking back tear. How sweet and wise you are, and quoted you shall be.
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