It's the Climb

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna want to make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

-- Miley Cyrus The Climb

If you've read some of my previous blog entries you know that music has a way of inspiring me to think about life. The song quoted above has done this to me once again. In this case it has sparked an introspection on what life is really about.

I believe that there was a pre-mortal life. A life before we were born where in we made choices that led to us coming to this Earth. That pre-mortal life was a time spent with God learning about the ways in which we could be assured to live with Him forever. We made a conscious choice to follow the plan created by Him. Part of that plan was to come to this Earth.

So here we are in mortality. This is our climb. This is the time where we will prove ourselves worthy to return to God's presence. This is our chance to follow the plan and earn our spot in Heaven. "The Climb" has reminded me of this. We are climbing a mountain that will lead us back home. With that said, how do the lyrics of the song apply? I'm just taking the chorus although the verses are also good to explore.

"There's always gonna be another mountain. I'm always gonna want to make it move" - How many times have I seen this in my life. Another challenge. Another test of my faith. Another way for me to prove myself in God's eyes. I kind of like a challenge. A challenge inspires me to better myself and prove to myself that I have the ability to do things no matter what others might think or say.

"Always gonna be an uphill battle. Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose." - Nobody is perfect. We fail; it's part of being human. It's part of learning. It's part of growing. If battles were all downhill we wouldn't have to do much to achieve victory.

"Ain't about how fast I get there" - This reminds me of Aesop's The Tortoise and the Hare fable. The moral of the story is "Slow and Steady Wins the Race". If we try to rush this life we will miss things that could be important. Also we may not complete that which is necessary to achieve our goal.

"Ain't about what's waiting on the other side" - This one I have to disagree with a little. What's waiting on the other side is the whole point of the climb. That said, the focus has to be on what we are doing in order to get there. This means that we need to put the proper priority on things and ensure that we are climbing and not just gazing at the end goal.

"It's the climb" - This is what this life is all about. Climbing the mountain of mortality in order to return to God's presence. What's waiting on the other side makes the climb worth it. However, enjoying and learning from the climb enriches our souls and makes us the best of God's children.

Each of us has our own mountains to climb. Mine are different than yours. No matter how many times I may fall down, I will get back up. Quitting is not an option and the climb is worth it.