![]() ![]() When I reached the peak of Kilimanjaro, I was happy but in a few minutes, I had to make my way down. But the reality is that achieving a goal is a very momentary sensation. We often think that when we achieve a big goal or dream, it will be a magical place and there will be happiness all around. Life should also be about the journey and it is important to enjoy this journey. However, it is only when I reflected back on my Kilimanjaro expedition and the related question above, that I realized: Yes, it is important to have dreams, ambitions and goals, but life should not be about these goals only. I realized that these cultural teachings had a massive influence on shaping my personality, and thanks to these teachings, I am where I am today. Now, if you take note, these are all are very goal-oriented milestones. The culture where I grew up as a child strongly emphasized on studying hard, getting good grades in school, attending a top university and eventually getting a stable job. I continued the journey of self-reflection after I came back to Toronto and the time I spent inside my own head helped me answer the all-important question: What happened to experiencing that euphoria at the summit? Suddenly, Bulleh Shah’s words started making perfect sense. I had just unfolded a new chapter in my learning & development journey. And most importantly, I was gaining positive energy during these self-reflection sessions. I became more focused and I gained more clarity towards a few life goals as a result. Surprisingly though, in a lot of ways I found it to be extremely refreshing to self-reflect to reflect on memory etching moments, reflect on people close to me, and how those moments and people made me feel, and why? It was like discovering a completely new side of myself which had been idle for the last 30 years. In fact, it used to sound scary and ridiculous to the 29-year old me. The thought of spending so much time inside your own head can sound scary to some people. I finally got a real taste of being inside my own head without any worldly distractions during the 7-8 hours of the daily climb for six continuous days. The journey towards self-reflection and self-discovery began a few weeks before Kilimanjaro, but in all honesty, it was difficult with all the distractions that we have adopted in this age: Facebook, WhatsApp, etc. Would you dare enter the shrine of your heart As the famous Sufi poet, Bulleh Shah, said in one of his famous poetry from the 17th century: Parh parh Alam te faazil hoya But this year, I challenged myself to channel the introvert in me and focus on studying myself. I am an extrovert naturally, as some of you probably know. And to get to the story behind the answer to this question, I’d like to take you back a few weeks before Kilimanjaro: I spent a few months thinking about this anomaly. But I was confused at the same time: What happened to experiencing that euphoria at the summit? And finally, after months of preparation, five (5) exhaustive days of climbing through rocks, mud, snow, sleeping in tents, on uneven slopes, eating food that I'd not normally eat and battling all sorts of weather, when I finally reached the peak, weirdly enough I did not experience the sort of feeling I was expecting.ĭon’t get me wrong, I was happy and grateful for my accomplishment and extremely humbled by the sheer beauty and power of nature. I did not leave any stone unturned during the preparation stage and I was extremely eager to feel the emotion of being at the top of the African continent. I’d set myself a goal and I’d very stubbornly put every ounce of effort towards achieving that goal. People close to me know that I have a very goal-oriented personality i.e. ![]() ![]() In the weeks before the climb, I’d always imagine and visualize reaching the top and the kind of emotion, the euphoria, I'd feel. It was undoubtedly the most difficult thing, physically and emotionally, I’ve ever done in my life. Earlier this year I was lucky enough to successfully summit Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain on the African continent, towering at 5,895 m (19,341 ft.), along with my wife and some of my closest friends. ![]()
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