Keep Pushing the Rock Up the Hill

An important metaphor for life is the image of pushing the rock up the hill. So many people, including me, think that once we get it to the top, that’s the ultimate prize — we’ll be able to just relax with our backs against the rock and never have to push anymore. We tend to think that that’s all it will take for us to be fully satisfied and that after we reach that point, life will be easy and great. But what I’ve come to learn is that getting to the top of the hill and staying there is not the point.

I’ve realized that I actually like the process of pushing the rock up the hill. Sure, it feels great once you’ve reached the top, but once I do that, I’m ready to go back down and push another rock up another hill. I enjoy learning, gaining new skills, and facing challenges. It’s what drives me each day. But it’s important, too, to remember that every new challenge you face should be done with intention. I have always loved real estate, so I’ve made it a point to challenge myself in all areas — construction, re-modeling, you name it — all for the purpose of furthering my real estate knowledge.

I could have just stopped once I reached a certain level of success with selling homes, but I chose not to. I wanted to learn even more, and to push myself to reach greater and greater heights. Right now, I’m learning how to install new construction windows, and once I’ve begun to understand that, I plan to learn about framing and electrical. And what have I learned from all this? Well, perhaps most importantly, I’ve gained a new perspective on what it takes to transform a home from the ground up, and it’s this knowledge that helps me advise my clients on their own purchases and sales. Without knowledge about the details and inner workings of a house, how can you expect to offer quality advice?

It’s easy to lose sight of the importance of the learning process, especially once you reach the top. It can be difficult to walk back down the hill to start again — after all, the top is an awfully comfortable place to be. But we can’t forget to continue to foster hard work in our lives, because its hard work and focus that keep us humble and help us to appreciate every day. So I encourage you to keep working and keep finding new hills to climb — it’ll make you stronger, and in the end, the process is the point.