More Hills to Climb

I pause to reflect on this day, one in which a good friend, Lieutenant Scott A. Moore, ends his time in uniform and to be piped-ashore for the last time. It is my hope, as he reaches the top of one hill where he deservedly may pause to reflect on his accomplishments, that he recognize the blessing and be filled with the joy in finding more hills to climb beyond.

Nelson Mandela turned 95 this week. Many around the blogosphere are stopping to pay tribute to his legacy. Here is one of my favorite quotes:

"I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom come responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended."

Apply this to your own life without comparison. You need not compare your life to Nelson Mandela (or anyone), in order to reflect on your accomplishments and find meaning. His life was chosen for him, yours was chosen specifically for you. A colleague, mentor and friend, Sean Heritage, has a blog “Connecting the Dots” one in which he started here on Blogger. Sean borrowed the title of his blog from a speech by Steve Jobs:

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart even when it leads you off the well-worn path; and that will make all the difference.” See the full speech here:


With his blog, Sean aims to connect the dots of own his life in order to see the meaning, in doing so he reminds all of us to do the same.

So, be brave – face the hill before you, and climb. When you feel you can go no further, stop and look back. I pray you see just how far you have come and that this will give you the courage and strength to turn back toward the hill and continue on.