Some days ago, a few friends and I decided to climb Mount Afadja, the highest peak in Ghana at 885 metres. It was a trip we had planned weeks ahead. We did not exactly know what to expect, except that we knew we would be climbing a mountain. Here are a few things I learnt about life from the climb.
1. You’ll need an awesome tour guide
We drove about 4 hours from Accra to the village of Liati Wote in the Volta Region. Once we got to the village we did not even know the path leading to the mountain. The village had a Secretariat to assist those who want to climb Afadjato. The Secretariat provided a tour guide. He was called Honoree. He knew so much about the mountain, telling us the history and the naming and all. At certain points, he even told us not to make calls on our cell phones. This was because the mountain was close to Togo and any calls made will incur roaming/international charges.
In life, it is easy to get lost and difficult to find your way as well. In a competent ‘tour guide’, you can be able to learn a lot and meander your way through this jungle.
2. Keep the goal in mind
At certain points in time, we all felt like giving up. The climb was exhausting. What really kept us going was ‘how does it look at the top’. This was our fuel. That goal kept us going on and on and on.
Similarly, in the corporate world and for that matter anything else you put your hand, heart and shoulder to, the goal should spur you on. Just like exhaustion, there will be times when certain things will side-track you, your goal will be the fuel to your desire when all seem lost.
3. It’s okay to take a rest
A climb to a summit of 885 metres is exhausting. At certain points we felt like giving up. We stopped climbing and had rests where necessary. We stood to rest, some sat, others lied down. The climb was not a race to determine who got to the peak of Afadjato faster.
Even though the world might seem like a jungle, trust me, you are in competition with no one. You just need to go at your pace. If there are instances where you need to relax, take a deserved rest, catch your breath and move on.
4. A great team helps
Our team consisted of 8 members, including a 6 year old boy. One dropped out very early on by looking at the climb and assessing her strength. The rest of us climbed at different paces and speed. Team members waited for others to join them before moving on. In the end we all got to the top — together.
A great team might come in the form of work colleagues, friends and family. A great team pulls you along. Some members of the team will leave. Encourage them to stay, prod and cajole them where necessary. If they make up their mind, do not despair. Let them leave. Sometimes, just sometimes, it is in the best interest of the group.
5. There might be a bonus
After climbing and descending the Afadjato, our tour guide told us that there was another sight to see about 4 km away, no climbing this time. We set off for Tagbo Waterfalls. It was the icing on the cake after such a difficult climb. Some couldn’t help but swim in the cool waters from the fall.
Life has a way of presenting itself to us. We describe such presentations which sayings such as ‘every cloud has a silver lining’. Difficult times will not endure forever, hard times will pass, and better times will emerge.
