Your Attitude determines your Altitude

Norma and I were recently in Ecuador. Our friends Martin and Ruth Harrison took us hiking up Cotopaxi. We didn’t climb to the peak (16,400), but we walked to the Refuge, which is 15,000 feet, higher than any peak in Europe. I don’t know if you’ve ever hiked to 15,000 feet. But we discovered that the heart, the brain, the muscles need oxygen. And there’s precious little of it at 15,000. We would walk 20 feet or so—then have to rest to let our heart and lungs catch up.

We’d say: “Okay, we need to get to the Refuge. But for now, let’s just get to the next rock.” The long journey to the top was overwhelming. However, we could make it a rock at a time. Once we were at the top, we enjoyed one of the best cups of hot chocolate I’ve ever tasted.

Then on the way down, I tried a little shoe skiing. I got on a bank of snow and began “skiing” downhill. My former-friend, Ruth, said she didn’t get it on video. Do it again. So I did it again. This time my feet slipped and I went sliding rapidly down the side of the mountain and slammed into one of those rocks, cracking 1 or 2 ribs, which still hurts two months later.

Anyway, I learned a few things.

The long upward journey can be overwhelmingly challenging. It demands all we’ve got. However, taking it a step at a time, a phase at a time makes it achievable. “Yard by yard is hard. Inch by inch is a cinch.”

And there’s a tremendous sense of accomplishment as a reward when you’ve reached your goal.

I was impressed with Norma’s stamina and persistence. She proved literally that your “attitude determines your altitude.”

And I learned that coasting, going down hill can be more dangerous than climbing. When we climb, we bring all our energies to bear. When we coast, we relax our guard. That’s when trouble can come.

Here’s a scripture for you: And let us not get weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9.