The Sunday Mail
Hunt for Greatness
Milton Kamwendo
Choose to live a life without boundaries. Climb what looks impossible. Climb while others camp, work while others sleep, dare while others freeze in fear. Greatness is for those who dare to climb.
Erik Weihenmayer is a visually challenged boundary-breaker. He is blind, but that has not stopped him from climbing mountains and challenging his limitations. He was born in 1968 and became blind at age 13 due to retinoschisis. Erik has never let blindness stop him to pursuing his dreams of climbing small and big mountains around the world. Like him be committed to being a paradigm pioneer, boundary breaker and incurable climber.
Erik keeps his ears open. He loves climbing. Whenever he learns of a particularly challenging mountain or obstacle he is motivated to climb it or conquer. Stop living a life of running away from challenges. Obstacles should never deter you or discourage you. He started by climbing the mountains near his home, then in his nation. He then started taking on continental peaks, and climbed Kilimanjaro in 1997, where he married his wife at the height of 13 000 feet. That is creativity. Why marry at pedestrian ground zero when you can climb to your wedding?
Getting married or climbing Kilimanjaro did not stop him from climbing. Some of us would have taken wedding pictures and then written a Mt. Kilimanjaro climbing book and turned into motivational speakers. But not this blind man.
He did not stop there; he continued and continues to seek out mountains to climb, challenge and conquer not just speak to or about. A life without challenges is plain boring. There is no celebration, no triumph, no notoriety! You dare not live such an empty life. Never let your physical disability or some debilitating quality stop you from pursuing your dreams.
Erik Weihenmayer gunned for the highest mountain, climbing the summit of Mount Everest and became the first blind person to reach its summit. If Erik, despite his blindness continues to climb mountains, what about you and your proverbial mountains . . . climb on. What are eyes for, if you do not have vision. What is strength for is you do not have fortitude to climb higher than were you are.
Erik founded a movement called “No Barriers” with a mission is to help people with challenges, to turn into the storm of life, face barriers head-on, embrace a pioneering and innovative spirit, and team up with great people to live rich in meaning and purpose.
His organisation’s motto is “What’s Within You Is Stronger Than What’s In Your Way.” Erik continues to challenge himself to live a “No Barriers Life” and in September 2014 he kayaked the entire 277-miles of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. What is stopping you. There are no boundaries except the ones you erect in your mind.
Dare to climb higher. Do something bigger than your yesterdays. Challenge something bigger than your current mindset and see how much you can stretch to greatness. Climb on, life is full of beautiful mountains to climb.
Life is a lofty climb, at a few stations the temptation is to camp, forget the climb, celebrate and park. Regardless of your level of success do not stop climbing and do not stop moving. Climb and do not camp. Yes, you may rest for a while but you must never quit or stop climbing.
Size challenge
Challenge, size, height or difficulty are matters of interpretation and perception. What you see today as impassable and impossible will tomorrow be a molehill and simple equation of life. The hard-nuts of today will be the simple nut snack of tomorrow. Challenge your challenges and face your fears. Face the brutal facts of your life with a never-say-die determination. You cannot let life grind you to pulp when you should be the salt of the earth. Be the difference you want to make. Be the change that you are seeking. Unless you change, very little else might change.
Values challenge
What matters most to you? What are you willing to leave or cleave to? What is worth your total commitment and passion? Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least. Your values are the bed-rock of character and shape what things mean to you.
Stop being half-hearted about things that matter. Half-hearted attempts never yield results that matter in anything. Do not stop at the mediocrity stall or park before the journey is done. Do not linger in doubt. Once you have made up your mind, head into action. If you are afraid, then do it afraid. Never let fear stop you from climbing and moving.
Commitment challenge
Life, your life, was never meant to be little but to be significant in every way. Significance is not a matter of popularity, media or public opinion but being faithful to let the best in you shine forth. No drum majorettes may line up outside your street to celebrate your daily grind as you climb to greatness. You dare not forget that significant achievements are preceded by small insignificant steps. Do not stop climbing because there are challenging. Do not stop climbing because it is hard. Do not stop climbing because you are afraid. Do not give up trying or stop climbing. One step at a time is not too difficult to ask.
Vision challenge
What you see will determine what you do. What you see will determine your level of motivation. If you only see your nose you will only be motivated by the events of today. Stop reacting and start strategising. See possibilities where others see only problems. See opportunities where others see only obstacles. See solutions where other predict disaster. See value where others see trash. As you see so shall you climb.
Identity challenge
You are a child of God, stamped with greatness. Your were born to do great things like your Father. You were branded with greatness even before you saw your first light. Your veins pulsate with the urge of greatness. The soil on which you stand is littered with the seeds of greatness. See yourself as a great and capable climber.
Do not stop climbing because the results do not showing. Keep moving, keep climbing, keep doing simple things in a great way. You are destined for greatness, favour and breakthroughs. Do not stop climbing to the next loft. Great things are awaiting you there.
Obstacle challenge
What does it really take to stop you? Keep climbing despite limitations, ceilings, obstacles and fears. Obstacles are those fearful things when you take your eyes off your goals. Obstacles are the stepping stones up the wall you are climbing. The obstacles you face today are the escalators to your greatness. The tests you face are your testimonies in the making.
Love and tackle obstacles, because amplify your gifts, reveal your character and build your strength. Obstacles unveil and showcase you to those who will promote you. Do not curse obstacles because they are your friends. Love solving problems, because without them there would be no opportunities.
Face the limitations placed in your path with respect. Limitations accelerate thought, stimulate creativity, catalyse innovation and instigate progress. Face the ceilings put for you with glee because they discourage pretenders from climbing too far. Love your critics with gratitude because they are your secret cheer leaders.
What you see as an obstacle today is a disguised stepping stone to greatness. You can be great, you are programmed for it in your DNA. Greatness is attainable and in you. Climb on and scale higher in life. Where you are is not an arrival or a destination. Don’t park so soon. Don’t tire our so early and plateau so fast. Climb and do not camp. You can’t lose your sting so soon.
Committed to your greatness
Milton Kamwendo is a leading international transformational and motivational speaker, author, and a virtual, hybrid and in-person workshop facilitator. He is a cutting-edge strategy, team-building and organisation development facilitator and consultant. His life purpose is to inspire and promote greatness. He can be reached at: [email protected] and His website is: www.miltonkamwendo.com
