Indian Border Security. Wagah Border Closing Ceremony, Punjab, India. Jan 2013

 

Come on down! You’re the next contestant on the Price Is Right! –Bob Barker

If you grew up watching TV in the eighties like I did, you’re all too familiar with that line Every day, Mr. Barker would call someone’s name randomly from the audience, and the person whose name was called would excitedly run down the aisle to claim their spot in the contestant’s seating area.

While on TV, it appeared as if it was luck of the draw as to who won the chance to play…the reality was that pools of audience members are pre-interviewed prior to the screening, and their names were selected based on how well they auditioned.

“Here’s the thing about luck…you don’t know if it’s good or bad until you have some perspective.”  –Alice Hoffman

Desert Festival. Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India. Feb 2013

People often tell Jo and I how lucky we are to be traveling long term. They say, “You are so lucky! You’re living my dream! I’ve always wanted to do what you’re doing!”

We always graciously accept this compliment, but we remind them that they too have the ability to make this dream happen. Luck, as they say…had nothing to do with it. Okay sure…there was some luck involved…and not all of it was good.

What was more important was the choices we made in response to or in spite of what life had thrown our way. 

We had to create our luck, even out of circumstances that didn’t seem very “lucky” at the time.

Chasing Down Your Luck

As of this writing, the Powerball Lottery in the U.S. is up to nearly $600 million dollars. It boggles the mind…the winner will be a half billionaire on paper.

Someone will win, but it will be by a long shot. I’m not saying it’s impossible to win by passively hoping to get lucky.

I’m saying that you stand a higher chance of winning in life if you actively chase down opportunities for luck to manifest itself…even in what appear to be the direst of circumstances.

Let me give you an idea of how this whole “create your luck” thing can manifest itself.

” Every adversity, every failure and every heartache carries with it the Seed of an equivalent or a greater Benefit. “  –Napoleon Hill

Remember….to do what we are doing today, I had the “luck” of being let go from a company that I had spent a quarter of my life working for.

We had the “luck” of leaving behind a beautiful home we had owned for nearly a decade.

In the first 6 months of 2010, here is a list of actions that we deliberately took that manifested the life we currently have:

1. Started reading back issues of Success Magazine that were given to us by Jo’s brother, Alex…which led to…
2. Completing “Designing the Best 10 Years of Your Life” planning exercise by Darren Hardy, publisher and founding editor of Success…and this turned us on to
3. Consuming more programs and materials on positive life changes, while reducing consumption of mass media which tends to play up the negative, and through this foray into positive life changes we found and started…
4. Following Zen Habits, a site dedicated to simplicity and habit change. Reading this site led to…
5. “Stumbling” onto Chris Guillebeau’s website, The Art Of Non-Conformity…Set Your Own Rules…Live The Life You Want…and Change The World. Through Chris’ work we…
6. Learned about travelhacking, and racked up nearly a million frequent flyer miles in the next twelve months, without even flying a single flight!
7. Started traveling full-time in 2011.

Of course, there were lots of other deliberate actions we took, but this gives you an idea of how the dots connect when you choose to create your luck. So how can you create your luck?

Fortune Favors The Bold

If you ever watch a poker game, you know that good and bad cards are dealt to every player over time.

The winning players tend to know how to parlay even the worst cards dealt to them.

They will play ANY cards dealt to them as if they hold the winning hand. Life is kind of like that.

Who’s the braver, me or the squirrel? Udaipur, Rajasthan, India. Mar 2013

You can play safe for a little while…but in the long run, fortune favors those who take a bold approach to the cards that life deals them.

“The greatest danger for most of us is not that we aim too high and miss the mark. Rather, it is that we aim too low and reach it.” –Michelangelo

Do something crazy at least once in your life. And remember, crazy is relative to your own experience.

Do you already run marathons? Then sign up for an ultra-marathon or change it up by doing a triathlon.

Do you already travel but mainly to Hawaii or Europe? Next year, go someplace more challenging like Myanmar.

Introverted? Go to a Toastmasters meeting and volunteer to be the first to speak. Walk up to a complete stranger, introduce yourself and see if you can make a new friend.

Speaking to the Siam Toastmasters. Bangkok, Thailand. June 2012

Try a little each day to get out of your comfort zone, and you’ll start to see new lucky breaks happen where before there were none.  On that note…

Seek Out Your Fortune

Sorry, but buying a lottery ticket doesn’t count. You’ve got to make an active effort to seek out opportunities to create your luck.

Is there some celebrity or author you’ve always wanted to meet? Maybe you rehearse all the time in your mind what you would say when you meet them.

John Gray, author of Men Are From Mars Women Are From Venus. Foster City, CA. Jan 2010

Send them an email or tweet. Tell them how much you admire their work. Offer to help them out somehow.

You never know when you’ll get a chance to meet your dream idol…but just dreaming about doesn’t make it happen.

Backstage at the Nike Women’s Marathon with U.S. Olympian, Kara Goucher. Oct. 2009

The universe doesn’t just plop them into your lap…you’ve got to seek out that chance to meet your idol, and maybe even push your way through the crowd to get to them.

US Olympian Matt Reed. SF Triathlon at Treasure Island, San Francicso, CA. Nov 2008

Maybe you’re not so starstruck. Instead, you dream of trekking in the Himalayas, or diving the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Friend, it won’t happen if the only action you take is to say… “Some day I will”.

With the plethora of information on the web these days, there is simply no excuse for why you can’t make that dream happen.

The steps to do it are there for the taking….for those who will seek out the wisdom of those who have done it.

Put On Your Luck Goggles

If you’re like most people, you go through life day in and day out with the same routine.   You take the same route each day, you have the same schedule, you meet the same people, and do the same activities.

Nothing wrong with that. Life tends to be routine, especially when every minute of your day is accounted for(this is very true for those of you who have children).

The danger is when it becomes so routine that you actually miss some fortunate opportunities that come directly your way.

You must have a made up mind that fortune is all around you, and that you are going to seize every opportunity to win it!

If your attitude is, “I never win anything…it’s always other people who get lucky.”, then your words will fulfill themselves.

You won’t be expecting to have a stroke of good luck, so lots of lucky breaks will whiz right past you and you’ll never even realize you had a chance to experience them. Someone actually did an experiment on it, and the results where intriguing.

Creating Luck

Shortly before we left Nepal to go to India, I was browsing through my usual set of posts from fellow travelbloggers. Seeking out fortune.

It happened that at the end of 2012, a bunch of sponsors were giving away travel prize packages in exchange for a minimum donation to Passports With Purpose.

Various travel bloggers were giving out various prize such as: 110,000 Hyatt points, a week stay in Provence, two weeks stay in France, and tons of other prizes.

As in my example of simply playing the lottery, I was not about to just randomly enter one of these drawings and just see what happens.

There was one prize in particular that really caught my attention(putting on my ‘lucky’ goggles).

Skybar atop the Four Seasons Hotel. Mumbai, India

AJ from Live From A Lounge was being sponsored by the Four Seasons in Mumbai to give away a weekend stay in one of their deluxe sea view rooms.

Out of all the prizes, I recognized that  AJ’s was the one meant for us.   Sure, the other prize packages were bigger and worth more money…but this prize was the most valuable to us, and was the one we stood the best chance of winning.

• India was our next country after Nepal.
• The winner would get a weekend in Mumbai…too short for anyone from a far away country to justify entering if it was only for two days.
• Most people were still reeling from the media fear-mongering caused by the Delhi rape case. That’s a whole different blog post, but let’s just say that crime happens everywhere in this world, and we stood ready to seize opportunity where others were too afraid.

It was as if this prize was custom-tailored to be won by us.   And that’s exactly what happened. We turned $10 into $600…

At the Skybar of Four Seasons, Mumbai, India. Mar 2013

Our beautiful view of the ocean from our room.

Spa accessories

Personal chauffeured tour of the city in a BMW 750.

Surf and turf brunch buffet.

Wine Bar

Sunday surf and turf champagne brunch featuring bottomless chilled Veuve Clicquot

 

 ”Luck is where the crossroads of opportunity and preparation meet.” –Seneca

But remember not to spend your whole life preparing. At some point, you’ve got to set sail and trust that the winds of fortune will blow in your favor.

Don’t confuse preparation with insurance.

You get insurance to protect yourself from unforeseen actions…some of which may never happen.

Preparation means readying yourself to take action. Conditions will never be perfect. If you’re reasonably ready, go out and seek your fortune!

DAY 3 of our Everest Basecamp Trek For Water Campaign 

“Your problem is to bridge the gap which exists between where you are now and the goal you intend to reach.”

–Earl Nightingale

We slept soundly on Day 2.  The 6 hours of trekking just about drained all the fuel in our tanks. We sat down to a simple meal of fried eggs, rice, and lentil soup to round out our protein and carb needs, and settled into sleep around 8PM.

It helped that we trained for 6 weeks at Mission Peak back in Calfornia in September, but there was still some conditioning needed in order to tackle what lay ahead.

First thing in the morning, we scarfed down some instant oatmeal and coffee(thanks for the Nescafe Mom!) and started on our way. The goal today: Namche Bazaar. Distance-wise, it’s a short trek… roughly 10Km from start to finish…but the climbs throughout this route, especially the last section is what makes it one of the tougher pieces of the trek.

The total elevation gain is nearly 3000 feet. In any case, we’re excited to complete this leg because Namche Bazaar will be our first acclimatization stop which means we get to spend an extra day there to rest up and allow our bodies to adjust to the altitude before moving onto the next leg.

By the time we complete today’s trek, a total of 9 hours will have passed and we will have criss-crossed the Dudh Kosi river over a total of 5 suspension bridges. Today is all about bridges and climbing.

Trekkers held up behind a yak.

We started our trek early, hoping to make it to Namche Bazaar by lunchtime. The map tells us that it should be a 6-hour trek…but we’re starting to learn that the times posted on the map are a bit aggressive.

It seems like whoever wrote the time estimates did not include any rest, meal, or water stops. So the reality is that today will be a full 8-hour day by the time it’s all said and done.

VIDEO 1: Starting The Morning Trek To Namche Bazaar   We spend the first half of the day making our way up the river, and crossing a handful of bridges along the way. It’s quite cold in the morning, requiring us to fully bundle up as the sun has not yet risen high enough to offer its warmth to the valley.

Jo turns for a quick photo as we make our way to cross the bridge in the background.

We come to our first bridge since leaving Phakding, a span of medium length. The yak trains operate all day long, but they tend to be more active early in the morning.

We wait our turn to cross this bridge, as the yaks tend to take a wide berth with the loads on their backs.

VIDEO 2: Crossing A Bridge

Having successfully fought through the little traffic jam at the end of the bridge, we press onward. Before long, the sun finally pours into the valley…bathing it in light and a much awaited warmth.

This is where it’s important to have the proper type of clothing. Other than during the perpetually cold winter season and the wet monsoon season, trekking in the Himalayas is characterized by warm midday sun followed by chilly temperatures once night falls.

Jo and I packed a combination of base layer shirts, t-shirts, fleece vests, down jackets, and windstopper shells. Now that the sun came out, it was time to peel some of these layers away.

We take a rest stop at the top of the hill to do a wardrobe change…

As you can see from the volume of people at the is rest stop, there really isn’t any worry of getting lost out here. The Everest Basecamp trail is so well-established, that you are bound to run into a person(or 20) all along the way.

We continue on our journey in earnest, slowly making progress towards our goal. While we were never quite alone on the trail, it did continue to get progressively challenging with the ever-increasing elevation.   We let these yaks by, and proceed to ascend the rock staircase upward…and as we emerge from the bend, we see Thamserku…a 22,000 ft. peak that lies just east of our destination of Namche Bazaar.

It’s a picturesque reminder that there is still considerable distance to cover today.   We press onward, encountering a series of waterfalls…a reminder of why we’re out here, to bring awareness for the plight of others who can only imagine being able to quench their thirst with mountain spring water such as this.

We reach our midway point, where we take a quick tea break and refuel with some of our Clif bars on the patio of the aptly named “Hotel Waterfall”.

As you can see from their signage, we have about 4 hours more to reach Namche Bazaar. In reality, with the load we’re carrying and the pace…we’ve got about 6 hours to go.   The toughest part is yet to come…the 800m(2400ft.) climb up into Namche Bazaar.

We’ve got just half the day left, and the sun sets below the mountains about 5PM. Keep on moving forward is our mantra.

Another bridge crossing, followed by a trekking permit checkpoint, and we finally enter the Sagarmatha(Everest) National Park proper.  

We paid our entrance fee of 3000 rupees($35) each, and continued on our way. We descended down into the valley and crossed another suspension bridge.

We press onward for another hour, walking along the river banks along what looks like an old stony creek bed until we find ourselves at the last bridge to cross before a 1000 ft. climb up into the city in the clouds…Namche Bazaar.

We need to cross this bridge, and then ascend the mountain vertically up into the clouds.

Upon crossing the last bridge, we meet up with a few other trekkers and yak trains on a series of switchbacks that take us up another 1800 feet of mountain.

Finally, after over 8 hours of trekking we reach our first acclimatization stop…Namche Bazaar. We make our way upwards into town and check into our room at the Alpine Lodge. We will spend the next two nights here to give our bodies time to adjust to the higher altitude.

Exhausted, we refuel with some well-deserved noodle soup and eggs. Food choices are limited up here in the mountains, but we’re happy to have a hot meal and a warm bed to sleep on.

The next day will be used to explore around Namche Bazaar…

Making A Move. Goa, India. March 2013

“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” –Mother Teresa

To our longtime readers, this post will come a bit from out of the blue. The fact is, the last time I posted was nearly four months ago, when I started the series on our Everest Basecamp trek. I’ll still be completing that series, it’s just taking a little more time than planned.

If you’ve stayed with us this long, thank you for bearing with us. The last four months have been one continuous stream of movement.

After we completed the trek, we spent a few more weeks in Nepal…recuperating from the ravages on our bodies and immune system that hiking 8 hours a day for two full weeks had done.

Everest Basecamp. Khumbu, Nepal. Nov. 2012

Nepal, while beautiful, has an incredibly insufficient power grid, which made it so difficult to keep current with the blog.

A nagging cold lingered for nearly three weeks after we had come down from the mountain…the basecamp of Everest had exacted more than its monetary cost.

As if things couldn’t get any worse…I failed to note a very important detail, our fee-free ATM card that we use to access cash had expired while we were up on the mountain!

A quick call back to the States, and with the help of my amazing sister Jackie, and we got access back to our funds within four days.

Further distracting us was a long drawn out Indian visa application ordeal that had us visiting this place three times in ten days, not to mention planning how we were going to get into India over land from Kathmandu.

The last three months have been a blur. We were constantly on the go while in India, which meant all my time was spent planning our movements and where to stay in each town.

But I know you’re not reading this to hear excuses. “It’s what you signed up for Marv and Jo, now tell us how you’re continuing the journey!” you’re saying.

You’d be right…these are all excuses. The reality is, I lost my rhythm and my stride after Nepal.

I needed to take some time to regroup and refocus, and to regain my stride with writing.

If you stuck by us during the “drought” of content, I really appreciate it. It’s taken time to get back into the swing of things, and you are truly awesome for continuing to support this site.

***

This week marks two years since we started this journey. On our one year “travelversary” we talked about life lessons learned from that first 12 months.

This second year, those same themes were pretty much repeated. Here’s a new lesson to share:

It’s never too late to make your move.

I know it’s a tired cliché, and most of you will take that advice and let it go through one ear and out the other.

Remember this: Each waking day is bringing you twenty-four hours closer to your eventual demise.

When do you think that will be? Thirty years from now? Ten years later? Next year?

Society only gives us permission to go big on our dreams when we’re about to kick the bucket. Life doesn’t begin at 65. (Coincidentally, it doesn’t end there either)

Camel Driver. Jaisalmer, India. March 2013

Yet, we feed into this notion that we have to work, scrimp, save to “secure the future”.

Sure, that’s important…but it’s not an excuse for you to sacrifice the present. Get busy living now.

Don’t get so caught up making a good living that you miss your chance to make a great life.

So what’s your dying wish? Do you want to travel for a year? Swim with whale sharks? Go on mediation retreat in India? Become an artist?

Locky’s Art School. Udaipur, India. Mar 2013

Whatever it is, give yourself permission to go for it!

I understand your hesitation. You don’t need to go for broke and dive blindly into your dream(nothing wrong if you do), but you also don’t need to put it on hold forever while you work on “more important things”.

Just give yourself a little time and space to clear your mind, and realize that when you strip away the income, the corporate titles, and all the toys you could possibly amass…what you’re really after is the freedom to live the dream you’ve always had, unencumbered by the expectations that you’ve been led to believe matter.

In the final analysis of your life, the things you once deemed important will seem trivial, and you will yearn for the chance to do the things you thought were crazy and irresponsible.

On those long drives to the office listening to the traffic reports, or on that metro train ride as you skim your smartphone messages, there will be brief flashes when a fleeting thought enters your mind about what you’d REALLY like to be doing in this moment.

And you’ll wonder if it will ever happen. You’ll wonder if you’ll have the time to get to it. You might even beat yourself up for not acting sooner on your foolish whims.

It’s never too late…until the clock stops.

YOUR MOVE.

DAY 2 of our Everest Basecamp Trek For Water Campaign

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. –Lao Tzu

In our case it will be 57 miles. That’s the roundtrip distance from Lukla to Mount Everest Basecamp, and today we would be taking the first long-awaited step to begin this odyssey.

Learning from the delays we experienced on day 0 and day 1, we decide to get a really early start and give ourselves a time cushion for reaching our destination for today: Phakding.

The route will take us out of Lukla, northbound along the Dudh Kosi river. It’s a 7Km journey with rolling terrain, and with the loads we’re carrying it will take us about 6 hours to reach Phakding.

Speaking of loads, we learned from our experience yesterday that it was probably not necessary to carry a full load of water. Even though we only made it 45 minutes into our trek, it became apparent that plenty of water is available on this well-traveled trail to Everest Basecamp.

So we dumped (read: drank) the 3 liters of water in each of our camelbak bladders…goodbye 13 pounds…and carried only what fit in our squeeze bottles, a nalgene widemouth, and our hot water thermoses.

Jo and I aren’t even close to being as fit as the sherpa porters of the Himalayas…

The strength of the Sherpa porters in the Himalayas is unrivaled.

In addition, we ditched a few extra articles of clothing that were redundant or unnecessary. The two nights spent in Lukla gave us an idea of the temperatures we would be facing, and while midday could get pretty warm, there wasn’t much need for t-shirts other than the long-sleeve wool ones we brought.

We left a small bag with these items at the Khumbu View guesthouse to be retrieved upon our return. This is standard practice, as trekkers tend to have both trekking gear and standard travel gear that isn’t needed.

It’s not a big deal…you just don’t leave your valuables, passports, cash, etc. In all, we probably shed about 25 pounds of weight before leaving Lukla, which made a huge difference! At about 7 in the morning we set off towards the archway exit of Lukla and started on the trail…

As you can tell from the map earlier in the post, the route to Phakding is a net drop in altitude. We start at 9300 feet and end at 8500.

It’s still a tough hike though, as the terrain rolls upwards and downwards equally challenging both your climbing and descending muscles.

The landscape alternates back and forth between tranquil pathways where you hear only the birds and the rustling of the trees, and the familiar picture of teahouses and shops  like those we left in Lukla.

One of the many teahouses found along the well-traveled Everest Basecamp trail

After a couple of hours, we encounter the first of many suspension bridges we will cross on this journey.

The various villages that dot the khumbu region criss-cross the Dudh Kosi river. There aren’t any roads here…only footpaths…and there is a constant need to cross the river at various points in order to get across to the opposite side of the valley.

Here’s a video of us crossing this particular bridge:

Aside from these bridges, one thing we can never get away from are the yaks. They are literally everywhere here in the Himalayas. One rule with the yaks when trekking: Stay out of their way.

Jo demonstrates what to do when a yak train comes through: stay out of the way, and on the side of the path that is away from the edge that drops off!

They don’t have an idea of how wide of a load they are, and they don’t think twice about knocking you over to the side. (not a good thing if you’re standing near the edge of a sheer drop-off) It’s all good though if you’re on solid ground…just don’t forget to snap a photo!   After a little while, we came upon a monastery area with various Mani stones, prayer wheels, and a stupa. We would continue to encounter such structures along the trek, a indication of the deep adherence the Sherpa people have to Tibetan Buddhism.

The trail takes us past these buddhist holy structures

Mani stones were explained in this previous post.  Prayer wheels are another very common sight seen here in the Himalayas.

A prayer wheel is a cylindrical “wheel” on a spindle made from metal, wood, stone, leather or coarse cotton. According to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition based on the lineage texts regarding prayer wheels, spinning such a wheel will have much the same meritorious effect as orally reciting the prayers.

Jo poses with a large buddhist structure called a stupa behind her.

We continue on through the valley for a couple of hours, taking in the sights and sounds along the way…

One of the “sturdier” footbridges we encountered on our trek.

One of the many buildings we’ve seen. The most impressive thing about them is how precise the stones are set, given that they are all handcut by only hammers and chisels.

And after nearly 6 hours, we encounter a large cluster of tightly grouped buildings that can only mean one thing…we have arrived at Phakding!

Weary and hungry, we quickly check in to our guesthosue, the Shangri-La…where we will warm up have an early dinner and prepare for another early start tomorrow!

A young Burmese girl offers alms of rice to a young male monk. Inle Lake, Myanmar Feb 2012

The problems and difficulties we face in life are not all like natural disasters. We cannot protect ourselves from them merely by taking suitable precautions, like storing food. Despite breaking our back working in the fields, the harvest fails; despite working night and day at a business venture, it is not successful. if we can transform our attitude towards suffering, adopt an attitude that allows us greater tolerance of it, then this can do much to help counteract feelings of mental unhappiness, dissatisfaction, and discontent. –Tenzin Gyatso, The 14th Dalai Lama

Read this blog long enough, and you come to realize that it is more than a travel-mag style publication. We really do try to share knowledge, experience, and lessons learned from our ever-expanding list of (mis)adventures.

You can read other posts we’ve done on gratitude here and here.

The Thanksgiving holiday notwithstanding, it’s very much in vogue these days to talk of the importance of gratitude in living a  happy and fulfilling life.

One has only to google the keyword: gratitude, and a plethora of results pops up with thousands of writers waxing poetic about how the key to satisfaction lies in appreciating the good things that fortune has given us.

Here are a few nuggets found online to illustrate my point:

“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” -Epictetus

“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” -Marcel Prous

“If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.” ― Meister Eckhart

What are you grateful for today? If you’re like most people you will think of the things in life that bring a smile to your face:

Delicious and nourishing food on the table?

Our Christmas dinner offered by our local Thai friends. Chiang Mai, Thailand 2011.

A nice home, warmly decorated and comfortable?

Our homestay via AirBnB.com. Vancouver, Canada 2011

A job that pays well with good benefits. A nice car, or maybe a few cars. Good friends and your family nearby to you.

To be grateful for blessings such as these comes with ease. As it should. For it is the positive things in our lives that give us the motivation and will to press on, even when we are faced with adversities.

It is not difficult to appreciate and cherish your life when it is filled with happy moments, cheery dispositions, accomplishments, and rewards.

Remember though that life changes as constantly as the seasons. Spring, with all its splendor and beauty does not last forever. It gives way to summer, then autumn, and eventually the chill of winter.

Friends will be close, but life will distance them one day. You’ll have a brand new car, and one day it’s totaled in an accident. You just got promoted, only to find 6 months later that you automated yourself out of a job.

A couple of trekkers in the Himalayas, about to go above the tree line and enter the much colder elevations beyond.

Grasping is the source of all our problems. Since impermanence(constant change) to us spells anguish, we grasp on to things desperately, even though all things change. We are terrified of letting go, terrified, in fact of living at all, since learning to live is learning to let go. And this is the tragedy and the irony of our struggle to hold on: not only is it impossible, but it brings us the very pain we are seeking to avoid.  –Sogyal Rinpoche

If there is one thing that forty years on this earth have taught me, it is to be always ready for change in your life. Enjoy and cherish the good times, but know that life isn’t a walk in the park. It is more a marathon…some of the miles you’ll feel great, while others will test your patience and resilience in the face of pain, hunger, and thirst.

The marathon of our own life has reflected this principle. A well-paying job of ten years ends in a layoff in a matter of a few hours. The “permanent” shelter of a warm home left behind to creditors.

Do times like this call for gratitude? Why shouldn’t they? This is the great mystery and lesson that I have learned in my continuing journey through life.

For where would we be, had I not lost my job? Still toiling away…a slave to the luxuries that required me to constantly increase the income that feeds them. Surely I would not be here with my best friend to experience the awesome wonder of the Himalayas.

What would we be doing had we not decided to sell and leave behind most of our belongings in order to realize our dream of seeing the world together? Likely we would be spending less time climbing majestic mountains and more time figuring out how to spend another 20 years climbing the ladder of success.

I say these things not to brag nor to question the judgement of those who seek comfort in securing a stable career and life. I say them as a reminder to be grateful not only for the good things that happen to you…promotions, financial stability, and the finer things they can buy.

Rather, I want to share with you that I’ve learned when counting one’s blessings, it is equally as important to recognize the value and merits that come from the struggles you will inevitably face throughout the course of your own “marathon”.

Do not become attached to the illusion of permanence that your mind longs for when times are good. Understand that it is but for a season that you are granted the luxury of this moment.

When doors close upon you…which they inevitably will for it is the cycle of life…learn to embrace the change, for it means a new door shall be opened unto you.

Entrance to Sagarmatha(Everest) National Park. Monjo, Khumbu, Nepal.

And whether it’s adventure to far off lands, a new business venture, a chance to give back to the world, or even the long overdue time to spend with your spouse, children, loved ones, and best friends…the blessings this new door unlocks might just be greater than you had ever imagined.

For even the greatest among us must one day endure the biting cold of a harsh winter. But like spring, even the winters in your life shall not last forever.

Master the endurance to go through the seasons in your life, and you will unlock the secret to happiness.

“Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire, If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something For it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times. During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations Because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge Because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary Because it means you’ve made a difference.

It is easy to be thankful for the good things. A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the challenges of life.

GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive.

Find a way to be thankful for your troubles and they can become your blessings.”   –Author Unknown