I was hiking one day in a Texas park. The main natural feature of this particular park is a giant, pink granite rock, although rock is an understatement. The thing is basically a mountain with caves, wildlife, and a spectacular view.
My wife and I were on the trail, trekking to the summit, when we passed a married couple trying to do the same. The wife was obviously struggling to make it up the mountain. My wife and I were taking a quick rest a few feet away from them, and we overheard the wife saying she was done. “I don’t want to climb any further. You go without me. I’m pleased with the view here.”
The husband kept urging her to go on, but eventually she got her wish. Being a good husband, he stayed with her.
As my wife and I kept climbing, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed for this lady. Having been to the park before and experiencing the view from the top of the rock, I knew she was missing out. In fact, that day when we got to the top, there was an amazing sunburst breaking through the clouds and illuminating the surrounding landscape. It was the most beautiful I’d seen the area look.
What a bummer that the lady and her husband couldn’t experience it because they were satisfied. They thought the view couldn’t get better. Or at least they thought the view wasn’t worth the struggle it would take to get there.
I’ve seen some people approach life like this. They get to a point where they’re satisfied with life and they stop progressing. Either they’re satisfied with their current state, or they don’t think it’s worth the effort to keep going.
There’s more up ahead, though. It’s worth the struggle. There’s greater stuff to see. Keep climbing.
