Today I will be continuing on from where I left off in part 1 (Bag a Munro part 1) by explaining why I think bagging Munros is a suitable metaphor for life.
Well, the way I see it is…
In life, you have to work hard to get any rewards you want.
Likewise, it’s a shift climbing a Munro and you have to put the hours and effort in to climb to the top. Once there the views are incredible.
This is the reward for all the hard work it’s uncomfortable at times and so is life. But if you push through and keep working hard the rewards will come.
On the way up it’s usually a steep climb that gets your blood flowing and the heart pumping. Personally, I love this part because it’s physically challenging and demanding.
In life as a responsible adult, we all have many roles and responsibilities to fulfill and this can be a challenge as most of us can be pulled in many directions.
Families to love, nurture, feed, clothe and entertain. Businesses to create, innovate, grow and develop our careers. These two main responsibilities will take up the majority of our time and commitment.
There are huge opportunities for success and a feeling of achievement when we work hard on developing our careers and families and the rewards are plentiful just like the initial climb on the Munro it’s hard graft but well worth the effort.
Once we are nearing the summit there will inevitably be some scrambling to be done. The terrain will be more challenging and you will need to pick your routes carefully. The rocks and boulders will cause you problems
At times you have to navigate ridges so you need to have great balance and flexibility and also be able to keep your nerve.
Just like in life sometimes it can become a real challenge as areas of your life are not going as well as you want them to go.
Relationships can be challenged, finances can become a problem (especially if you run a business). There can be issues with family members the list goes on. When these issues arise you need to pick your next moves wisely and at times hold your nerve and your tongue.
On the descent of the summit, it’s the same challenge as on the ascent but now you are going downhill which offers a higher degree of intensity.
The danger of falling makes it more intense which takes much more mental and physical focus. It’s tough and draining.
Just like in life when you have problems in your intimate relationships. It can become a total mind fu*k and is emotionally draining.
On the descent, it’s sore on the legs, especially the knees. The terrain changes and you usually have to endure a few hours of putting up with and getting through this.
During the downhill phase, the correct mindset is essential. You have to stay focused and push hard to get back to the transport and the start point only then is the challenge over.
If you don’t stay focused you can become demotivated. Also, fatigue is kicking in now because you are many hours into the challenge and all these factors combined can really make you feel bored and pissed off.
The only option is to endure it and get it finished because no one is coming to help you or pick you up.
It’s up to you and you alone to get yourself down off that mountain as quickly as you possibly can.
And in life, we all find ourselves tired and pissed off … physical and mental fatigue is emotionally draining and can lead to us applying the wrong perspective and having a bad attitude or negative mindset. An extended period of this can result in bouts of depression.
When we start to question life, especially from a space of overwhelming it’s very easy to become caught in negativity and moan and whine about it.
The thing is just like with coming down the Munro you have to grit your teeth and get it done because there is no other option. You can’t phone an Uber to pick you up when you are tired and fed up on the side of a mountain.
If I started to moan and whine to the lads I climb with I would get slaughtered. They wouldn’t put up with it and I wouldn’t do it anyway because it’s not my style.
In life being around people who are always moaning, trumping, and being completely ungrateful is so emotionally draining.
We all get caught in this at times so I am not preaching because when I get super stressed I can moan a bit. I do catch myself very quickly and improve my perspective.
The key to this is recognising it quickly enough and adjusting your mindset from a place of negativity and lack to a place of positivity and gratitude.
This is a key skillset to develop because it will allow you to flip it.
Most of us especially those from the West of Scotland are socially conditioned to be negative.
When you say hello to someone from Glasgow and ask them how they are the standard reply is “no bad”.
I understand that people don’t know what they don’t know. Our parents didn’t know any better and most of us are reflections of our upbringing so effectively we are socially conditioned to be this way. We can change improve and develop ourselves to be more positive and upbeat having developed strong character traits and coming from a place of compassion rather than judgment.
The more you practice the better you get at it.
The more mountains I climb and the more Munros I bag the better and quicker I get at the downhill phase.
It’s the same as the more I read and educated myself on personal development and positive mindset training the better I’ve gotten at it.
Bagging Munros and climbing the beautiful mountains of Scotland is what I call soup for the soul. Something happens when you are out there absorbing all the beauty.
If you’ve never experienced the great outdoors I encourage you to get out there and enjoy the challenge and experience.
So what are you waiting for? Get out there and bag yourself a Munro!
Davie McConnachie
Davie McConnachie is Scotland’s leading health and wellness coach, multi-award-winning gym owner, motivational speaker and the founder of DMC Fitness, a fitness education facility known as the premier choice for 1-2-1 personal training. He has inspired thousands of people to fall in love with fitness – his true purpose and mission in life.
Diving into the world of fitness and wellness has helped Davie to deal with his own trauma and inner demons. He, overcame many dark times using his own unique methods to continue his cycle of healing.