Are you climbing the right mountain?
Oh, hi friends!
So you’re walking along on your way to a babbling brook, because you’re really into brooks right now. They look so cool, so refreshing. Your goal is to sit by the brook. So simple.
But on the way, you come across a mountain.
Huh, you think. I didn’t feel like climbing a mountain today.
I wanted to frolic in that brook and maybe lie on a warm rock in the sun, but…the mountain’s right here.
That could be fun…in a different way.
But I don’t have the right shoes, you think. Or the right gear. Am I wearing a bathing suit? I am. You can’t climb a mountain in a bathing suit. And yet…
The mountain’s right here.
The brook’s all the way over there.
Why not?
And so you start climbing and it’s very hard—because mountain climbing is hard, remember? You get past a tough bit and think, Well, now it’d be foolish to stop.
And you keep climbing. The mountain is steady and endless under your feet. You feel like you’ll be climbing forever.
But now you’re halfway up. No turning back. You’re stubborn. You’ll see this through to the end. That’s what you do.
It’s even kind of exciting, this little side adventure. You see some…mountain creatures. You don’t even know the names of these animals—you’re that ill-prepared for this journey.
Finally, you reach the top.
You have no idea how long you’ve been climbing. Days, weeks, years. But it feels good, standing on a summit. You think about how tough you are. You think about going home and telling people what you’ve done. You think about how much they’ll admire you. You’ve climbed a mountain!
And then you look down.
All the way down.
And you see your babbling brook.
By climbing the mountain you’ve done something hard. Ambitious. Admirable.
But it’s not what you wanted.
It’s not what you needed.
It’s not what you came here for.
Please stop climbing the wrong mountains.
“We call because we want a break: from creative projects, from talking to children, or being around children. We call because we feel alone but don’t want to be left alone. We call because we need space for joy and connection; talking makes that space.”
One of my favorite new habits is actually picking up the phone and talking regularly to my friends Danielle and Allison—we discuss our weeks, our hopes, our goals and, for me at least, these conversations act as necessary checks and balances on whatever issue seems fraught in the moment.
Getting out of your head and opening up about what’s going on—without the awkwardness of trying to have an in-depth chat at a crowded coffee shop—can make your friendships even more intimate and extraordinary. I really appreciated this ode to phone calls on Lenny.
The Instagram @accidentallywesanderson is everything I didn’t know I needed.
Do you like these daily emails? Please share with a friend!
Thanks, as always, for reading.
Love, Kara