Recently, I borrowed a six episode show from the library called: Everest: Beyond The Limit, a Discovery Channel Documentary that follows a group of men embarking on the dream of a lifetime; reaching the summit of Mount Everest.
I borrowed it because my husband recently went to Nepal and trekked to Base Camp. So in our house, we are interested in this mighty mountain. For the record, my hubby will not ever try to climb Everest – he doesn’t want to, I don’t want him to and we can’t afford it!
Watching these men try and climb the world’s tallest mountain was a mixture of awe inspiring happiness, to tense, nail biting drama to plain out anger and frustration at the stupidity of some people. This is life and death stuff that is happening, but for some the desire to summit Everest is so strong they will literally try and die in the attempt! Thankfully, some of these men had a team of sensible people around them. Up there, there is no room for error and when your brain is oxygen starved and every breath and every step takes massive effort, errors are deadly.
During one episode two of the men had Summit Fever. Summit Fever is described “…as an anticipation to reach the top of the mountain disregarding safety, and ethics, among other things…” (Ref: http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Is-Summit-Fever?&id=5798457).
Watching these two recklessly climb further and further at the risk of their lives and the lives of the Sherpas with them was incredibly frustrating. Granted, they are not thinking clearly, as their brains are starved for adequate oxygen, but my frustration just kept building. I kept thinking: Is this goal worth it? Is your life worth giving up to achieve this goal? When does the goal start consuming you?
I really admire those who can climb this mountain and come back alive. I admire those who see it for what it is – a dream realized, but something not worth throwing your life away for. Granted, by simply attempting this climb, you could die. Well prepared, experienced climbers have died due to horrific, unforeseen weather, amongst other things. This is not for the faint of heart.
So I guess I’m asking the question of myself and others out there. When does a dream (any dream) become detrimental to our health and the health of our families? Has God faded from the helm of your dream to a mere backseat passenger?
I think it’s okay to walk away from a dream and come back later to it. I think it’s okay to say, “this is consuming me in a bad way and I need to re-evaluate”. Last week I talked about how God is the author of our dreams. As the giver of life as well, I hardly doubt he would want us to throw our lives away for it (literally and metaphorically). God himself should be the only all-consuming dream of our lives. In Him we will not get lost or overwhelmed. In turn he will brighten our lives with dreams to fulfill us and make our hearts soar.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this!
Image from: http://www.mountainsoftravelphotos.com/ReferenceImagesF/Everest%20Beyond%20the%20Limit%20Season%201.jpg
She is currently writing her first novel, a contemporary women’s fiction/romance set in a small country town.
Jess is a mum of two children and married to the calmest man alive. She loves to bake and go for walks. A writer of contemporary romance, Jess write stories about the heart and where love is worth the journey.