Mountains: beautiful, picturesque, strong, and ever so tall.

For those who are avid hikers, climbing

intense mountains might not seem too bad, depending on the trail taken. However, for beginner
hikers, the trek to the top might seem impossible. Some of us could be facing big mountains in our
lives at this very moment.

But before we conquer our life’s mountains, Let’s try to answer these mountain facts:

1. What is the tallest mountain in the world? Mt. Everest

2. What is the tallest mountain in the Philippines? Mt. Apo

3. Where did Noah’s ark rest? Mountains of Ararat

4. What mount did Moses receive the 10 commandments Mount Sinai

5. Where did Elijah challenge the prophets of Baal Mount Carmel

Spiritually, “A mountain may be considered as a hindrance or obstruction to someone’s progress. It could
be anything that stands between us and the actualization of our destiny”
How to overcome life’s challenges
1. Identify Your Mountain
First and foremost, identifying the mountain in front of you is the first step in overcoming that
obstacle and often one of the most challenging. Everyone's mountain is different. Realizing that we
have a mountain in front of us and admitting our problems can be hard.
Your mountain could be
 you're an introvert, leading to shyness when you’re around other people.
 insecurities you have about yourself.
 It could be the negative relationship you have with your coworker,
 or the troubles you're having with your spouse.
 It could even be your relationship with sugary and salty food.
Truth is, we all have our mountains; some are just more obvious than others.
2. Examine Your Mountain: Once you have found your mountain or mountains, put a name to
it.
For example: This mountain is my health. This mountain is my insecurities. This mountain is my
tendency to take on too many projects.
Once you've identified and put a name to them, you can better understand, if your mountain a
natural mountain or a self-made mountain. Natural mountains are those that are in our path to do
us harm, stifle our purpose and in so doing can even change the path we want. Unfortunately,
natural mountains represent the trials and tribulations we all experience in life. Then there are
those man-made mountains. These are the mountains we have built up over time or the ones we
often make out of "molehills" (small pile of dirt). It’s very easy to fall into the habit of making
mountains out of molehills. You think and think about a small problem until it becomes something
that you believe may ruin your life.
 3. Start Small: Concentrate on just taking one step after another. Step by step might seem
minor, but it will get you to cover that mountain. To get from a state where you just feel like
doing nothing, to one where you take action over and over requires step by step. Getting
started with your biggest task or most difficult action may seem too much and land you in
“procrastination zone”. So instead, start with something that doesn’t seem so hard. One of
my favorites is simply to take a few minutes to clean my desk or my room. After that, I can then
focus on the next mountain I need to climb, big or small.

Sweeping the World Off Its Feet Begins With Sweeping Your House

The History of the Late Han records a story about a proud young chap named Chen Fan. Chen was ambitious

and wanted to achieve great things, but he did not bother to keep his life in order. As a result, his room was in

a constant state of filth and untidiness.

One day, Xue Qin, a friend of Chen’s father, came to visit. When he saw how dirty Chen’s room was, he

asked Chen, “Why don’t you clean up your room?”

Chen replied, “As a man of great ambition, why should I be wasting time on trivial things like sweeping my

room, when I should be focusing on sweeping the world off its feet?”

Xue Qin then mused, “How can one achieve great things when one can’t even keep his living space clean?”

His remark left Chen speechless.

The famous Chinese philosopher Xun Zi once wrote, “Without taking many small steps, one cannot complete

a journey of a thousand miles. Without collecting many drops of water, one cannot form a river or sea.”

While Chen’s great aspirations were admirable, he had yet to realise that in order to achieve great things, one

must begin with achieving small tasks. If one can’t even manage one’s own living space, how can one

manage the important undertakings in life? If one is not even willing to do “menial” tasks, how can one

achieve great things?

Persevere: There are things in life that we dread constantly. Through perseverance, we can
accomplish the goals at hand and climb over the top of the mountain, reaching our goal. It should
go without saying, but people who preserver through even minor obstacles are more likely to
never let a big obstacle get in their way. Remember, no matter how many failures you might have
 in life, or think you have in life, perseverance is key to being happy and successful. Don’t let
negativity weigh you down. Keep your head up high, because persevering through the pain, scary
decisions, and suffering is worth the view at the top.

(Insert a short story about perseverance)

Refocus: Often times we have so many problems or issues, we don’t know where to turn our
focus. Moreover, we see a small problem and we can’t get past it. The best way to overcome a
mountain is to turn your mind and attention towards the solutions rather than the worry. Focus
on what’s right in front of you. Focus on how to overcome the mountain, and not the actual
mountain or problem at hand. Focus on what you want in life, and how you can accomplish that,
rather than the obstacles that will stop you from that. Instead of being angry and sarcastic all the
time, focus on how much better people would respond to you if you were peaceful, kind and
sincere. Instead of living paycheck to paycheck and being worried about your finances, refocus on
how you can make better financial choices, and knowing that you will always have your needs
meet.

(Insert a short story about refocus)