Labored breath and sore feet as you reach the top of the mountain 

Turn and look down on all the winding pathways and rugged trails you had to take so you can stand where you are.

Look upon the dewy grass and the ice cold snow and know that just as the seasons shape and mold the mountain, so too did they shape and mold you. 

Look upon the smooth stairs and jagged rocks and know without both you would never have made it this far. 

Look around at those who stand beside you and know they too have toiled up their own mountains to stand where they are. 

Don't judge them on how high or fast they have climbed. Rather praise them for their strength and endurance. You never know how many more rocks stood in their way. 

Now look before you at the rising earth. You thought you had climbed a mountain, but it was merely a hill. The real mountain stands before you, calling out to you in it's majestic beauty. Asking you to embrace the joys and heartaches it will take to reach it's summit. 

Close your eyes and whisper a prayer for guidance, because it's time to start climbing.