ASCENSION — How to Live a Heavenly Life on Earth

With an ascension of 29,029 feet, Mt. Everest serves as the supreme symbol of man’s personal struggle to achieve.

As a metaphor; Everest is simple and pure — man versus nature.

It approaches a universal understanding of our primal desire to conquer, and will eternally stand as a symbol for triumph in the face of great obstacles…for rising to meet the mental and physical demands of a big challenging goal.

For the purposes of this message we are going to focus on the word ASCEND, and by the time we’re done…I hope to convict you with the belief that you can, will and must shoot for the moon and conquer your own personal Everest.

Let’s begin with a brilliant quote by Henry David Thoreau who said…

“I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to ascend his life by conscious endeavor.”

So what exactly does it mean to ascend your life?

ASCEND is a transitive verb which means to exalt, to lift up and improve morally, intellectually, physically, spiritually, financially, culturally...you name it.

And, in the spirit of making this a lesson that will catapult your life and overall performance to another orbit...

I offer the following ascension plan which you can use to live a heavenly life on earth.

ASCEND YOUR VISION

You will never be greater than the vision that guides you…and in the same way that no Astronaut ever walked on the moon without going there first in their mind, not one climber made it to the summit of Everest without an inspiring mental picture.

A compelling vision of their performance inevitably guided and inspired all the years of hard work. This same principle applies to you…your past and future achievements.

Your vision is not just a picture of what you could be…it’s an appeal to ascend yourself, a call to become something more, a challenge to go to a place mentally where you have never been.

Due to its elevated position in the sky…if you were standing on the summit of Mount Everest, your vision of the horizon would surpass an astonishing 208 miles. That’s the kind of vision you want to experience.

ASCEND YOUR EXPECTATIONS

You get out of life, what you expect out of life. You see what you expect to see, feel what you expect to feel, act how you expect to act, and achieve what you expect to achieve.

Ascending the expectations you have of yourself and those around you profoundly influences everything in your life — your health, your wealth, your happiness, your career, your relationships, and your abilities.

Expect greatness from yourself, expect to win in advance, expect that great things will happen…and then work hard to make them happen.

The youngest person to climb Everest was 13 year old Jordan Romero from the United States who reached the summit on May 22, 2010…and the oldest was 80 year Yuichiro Miura from Japan on May 23, 2013.

What that means is it’s never too early or late to ascend your expectations, to aim high, to go after your own personal Everest and win.

ASCEND YOUR STANDARDS

Superior performance is not, never has been, nor will it ever be, the by-product of ordinary efforts.

If you are really committed to getting to the next level, to raising the standards of your profession, to unleashing your greatness…there is only one way: ASCEND YOUR STANDARDS.

With high standards you dramatically increase what is possible in your life, and that is why you must refuse to lower your standards to accommodate those who refuse to raise theirs.

Those that have reached the summit of Everest display a zero tolerance for mediocrity, self-doubt, and any behavior that could potentially undermine victory.

They know that what they put up with, they end up with and as a result…they have elevated standards for themselves and those around them.

And, that’s why you must never apologize or feel guilty for having high standards. I assure you that the people who want to be in your life will rise to meet them.

ASCEND YOUR RELATIONSHIPS

Success isn’t just about what you accomplish in life. It’s about what you inspire and elevate others to be.

Engage, educate, equip, encourage, empower, energize, and ascend. Those are the methods for maximizing the potential of any individual, family, team or country for that matter.

Appreciate those who love you. Help those who need you. Forgive those who hurt you. Challenge those who challenge you to ascend their game.

We exist to ascend each other, to strengthen, cheer and encourage…certainly not to degrade, undermine or chastise.

We must provide each other with wings to soar, and when you concern yourself with ascending others, you automatically ascend yourself.

We must also be mindful that at times, ascension requires separation.

You must be willing to excommunicate those that do not ascend you.

Never lower your standards or allow yourself to be manipulated as whoever is trying to bring you down is already below you.

No one conquers Everest without the help of a strong, supportive team that believes in, respects and who trusts one another. That’s why you must live to ascend and uplift those around you.

ASCEND YOUR PASSION

Only great passions can ascend the soul to do great things.

The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire. Passion is hard-core devotion to a person or cause; it infuses life with meaning, joy, and unbridled enthusiasm…and we must do everything in our power to ascend our passion…to keep the fire burning.

To engage in work that does not cultivate your passion is completely unnatural and sabotages your spirit. You must love that which you do. Your heart must be in it as the worst bankruptcy in the world is the person who has lost his passionate soul.

Just as Everest is the highest point on earth, The Dead Sea located between the borders of Israel and Jordan is the lowest point on Earth.

Measuring 1407 feet below sea level, it is so salty that nothing but salt loving bacteria survive, explaining why it’s called the Dead Sea.

Apathy, fear and hopelessness are the killer of ideas, of hopes and of dreams. That is why you must ennoble and ascend your passion as without passion you will never work up to your fullest ability, potential and competitive greatness.

The demands placed on anyone who attempts to conquer Everest require that they bring all of who they are to the game.

Actively engaged hearts and minds, unwavering commitment, laser focus, and relentless determination are all motivated by ascending your passion.

That’s why your challenge for today and for everyday is to ascend your entire game.

I want you to wrap your mind around the idea that your duty and primary responsibility in life is to ASCEND ALL, BIG OR SMALL.

Think of ways that you can ascend your performance as a mother, father, husband, wife, employee or entrepreneur. Identify every role you play in life and actively work to ascend everyone you come in contact with.

Ascend with words of encouragement, ascend by asking bigger, bolder, and better questions, ascend by setting an example that inspires…ascend every life experience for yourself and others.

Remind yourself that you cannot lower the mountain, that the only way to conquer your own personal Everest is to ascend yourself to reach it.

BEFORE YOU GO

Over the years, I’ve learned a few… secrets. The tips, tactics and strategies that have helped people to become superhuman and transform their life. Want to see ‘em? Go here and get my free manifesto.

You’ll find the tip about how to “10X Your Results” fascinating!

Gary Ryan Blair is creator of the 100 Day Challenge…a radical approach to goal achievement that shows people how to achieve 10X size goals by applying the methods and best practices of growth hacking.