Growing up in Gainesville Georgia at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, I’ve always had a love of mountains. Many of my fondest memories are of time in the mountains with different views throughout the seasons. The lush green mountain forest views of summer, brilliant bursts of colors in the Autumn mountain panoramic views, the hearty evergreen Georgia pines blanketed with new fallen snow giving way to a mountain top winter wonderland view, and the views of wild mountain flowers and new buds on the trees as new life blooms in Spring. Mountain views are breathtaking and inspiring. Yet, mountains aren’t always seen as beautiful inspirations.
Sometimes we view mountains as giant physical obstacles in our way, preventing us from reaching a destination or goal, both literally with a physical mountain and figuratively as we describe obstacles to our goals (mountains to overcome etc.). In both physically literal and figurative mountains, we frantically look for ways around, over, or through the mountain obstacle. In most geographic locations we build winding roads with numerous switch backs to traverse the mountain to the other side. Or, in the case of the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park Montana, builders dynamite into the mountain side to create a road that has minimal switchbacks and dangerous curves but instead is imbedded into the mountain canyon wall to navigate through the mountain region. Or in my time in South Korea, the road builders cut through the mountains with tunnel after tunnel because the entire peninsula is covered with mountains from one end to the other, and using other methods are seen as inefficient for traversing the mountains.
We are always looking for ways to navigate around, over or through the mountains. In Palm Springs California and the Coachella Valley, there’s an enormous mountain range to the west called San Jacinto Mountains, rising to a peak of over 10,000 feet above sea level of the San Jacinto mountain. Road builders on the south side of the mountain created a traditional mountain windy road between the Coachella Valley and other parts of southern California going towards San Diego. It is a scenic yet very curvy road that quickly gains altitude and changing climates from the desert valley to the mountain pine forests, aptly called the Palms to Pines Scenic Byway. The temperatures can vary 30 degrees from the desert to the mountains, going from hot, dry weather to cooler and sometimes icy, snowy weather in higher altitudes. On the north end of the Coachella Valley, road builders created an interstate (I-10) through the valley around the mountain ranges towards Los Angeles, and while it does gain some altitude and temperature compared with the desert in Coachella Valley, it is a much smoother, less curvy road albeit a much more windy route as confirmed by the large number of windmills installed along the valley. And this is where I was inspired to consider how different views, we have of the mountains impacts our relationship with challenges in life.
That valley on the north end of Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley where the San Jacinto mountains slope downward is known to be very windy. It is the least preferred residential location for many because the winds can cause havoc with backyard furniture, pools etc. with the blowing sand and overturned items. Most people prefer to be at least a little bit south of that area where the mountain acts as a wind shield, protecting the neighborhoods, not to mention people enjoy looking out at the magnificent mountain views in front of them. The mountain isn’t seen as an obstacle to get around, over, or through. It is seen as providing protection and a peaceful, inspiring view. This made me reflect on other scenarios, physical (literal) and figurative, where mountains aren’t obstacles to overcome but there to provide protection and inspiration where we are at that moment in time.
Other examples of mountains acting as protection include when mountain ranges break apart severe storms such as thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes etc. and weaken their strength, minimizing damage to communities on the other side of the mountains. Or when mountains serve as protection from tsunamis in the sea after earthquakes. And figuratively, mountains we encounter as obstacles sometimes are there to protect us from going down the wrong path or going after the wrong goals for us or moving in a direction at the wrong time. Instead of always seeing the mountain as an obstacle to be immediately overcome, what would happen if we paused to see various views of the mountain? Look at the mountain to see if it is there to protect you from something or encourage you to take a different route or different timeline for moving towards your goals. At some point, if we are to make progress towards our goals, we will eventually find a path around, through, or over the mountains (obstacles) in our path, in the right direction, and at the right time for our individual journey. However, it is worth taking time to pause and consider the different mountain views and what each view, in each season of our life and personal and professional journey, has to share with us. Once you take the time to see and appreciate the different mountain views and how they may serve you, including providing protection and direction, the quicker you will be back on your path making progress towards your goals.
As always, I encourage you to reflect on your own stories and when you’ve experienced different mountain views. How did they help you in your journey towards professional and personal goals? How may you take time in the future to look for different mountain views and change your perspective on the purpose of the mountains for you at that time? Mountain views can be beautiful and inspiring to our journey and stories. Take advantage of those different mountain views and enjoy the journey, remembering that, as always, Your Story Matters.
