Mountain Kuluhala

Tales of the Wild: Part Two

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Welcome to this week's edition of Letters From Sedo.

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In the middle of the bushes, swampy water, the colour of ripe pawpaw, flows beneath you.

You’re on a bridge, holding onto vines tied around the roots of a bridge.

You’re exhausted. You’ve been at this for quite some time now. In the deep Kuluhala mountains,  you’ve lost your way. Thirsty, you reach for your satchel. But it’s empty, dry like your patience. It gets worse though. Your compass is gone and like a bad dream, you’re lost and alone in the middle of a deserted jungle wilderness, tired, thirsty and afraid.

We have all been in the middle of uncertainty. And like a wilderness adventurist, you might feel parched and uncomfortable.

The system is failing us. Our hearts are troubled. Our finances are in red.

And just when life seems to finally start making sense, something else happens and your carefully folded dreams crumble like a pack of cards.

You want to give up right?! That’ll only be logical.

I mean, you’ve gone round this mountain a gazilion times and you’ve ended up right where you are.

But you’re going with everything you have!

In this barren wilderness, you’ve mastered all the signs, the cat calls, the jungle vines, the sounds of the crickets and movement of the sun but still it seems like your effort is wasted. All of it.

Your journey must be a joke to the people watching you. Here you are in the middle of a desert, without a purpose or direction.

A 40 year old man with no life or career. A 25 year old without a steady means of income.

The question I always ask myself in the middle of a tough challenge is this:

Am I sure this is the right mountain, for me? Especially after trying over and over again.

 

Because it might indeed be the right mountain, but it just might not be what you should be doing.

When I was growing up, I loved hearing the story of the light bulb and how Thomas Edison tried 999 times before finally getting the light bulb we all use today.

And while this is a beautiful motivational story, this not always the case.

Changing strategy is a beautiful way to continue doing something you want to without necessarily giving it up.

Because the beauty of the human condition is that we can try and experiment.

And when you feel that something is not working the way you want it to, it might be necessary to take a pause. A long hard one.

Because Mountain Kuluhala may not be yours to take.

That uncomfortable waste land may just be an unfortunate detour!

And in a world where it’s often common to lose face when a poorly thought out plan does not work, it’s easy to find people trudging parts they never should have walked in a desperate attempt to save face.

I’ve learnt that it is okay to take a few steps back and analyze. Even when you feel like it’s taking too long.

Pause, regroup and tighten your bootstraps a bit better. A bit harder.

And try again!

I have noticed over time that hard times have a way of creating clarity in difficult situations.

Always, remember that the wildness can be fun, and freeing.

And a very useful tool on the road to success no matter how uncomfortable it may be.

As Henry David Thoreau says, “We need the tonic of wildness”

So instead of sulking, learn from your wilderness voyage and chart a new course.

And whenever you happen to find yourself in the wrong wilderness again, try these three simple steps:

• Accept your mistake

• Buckle your bootstraps

• Climb out of Mountain Kuluhala before the sun sets again and if you’re really sure it’s right for you, at least, consider changing your course.

To living your best life, always.

Yours intimately,

Sedo.