Overachiever takes to the mountains
The recession has caused a change in behaviors-no one will argue against that point. However, what is interesting is how each person has adapted to the new economic environment. I find my own behavioral change to be almost shocking.
Being plagued by the over achiever mindset all of my life, I have obtained numerous degrees and have had my own consulting firm for 20 plus years and of course worked ridiculous hours to achieve that. However, I recently decided to forego my obsessive fast paced career track for my other love—mountain climbing.
In the past few months I have been on multi-pitch rock climbing expeditions, the summit of Mount Whitney (again), Mount Shasta and attempted to summit Mount Rainer. Yes I am still working and running my company but just doing it a lot less these days.
What prompted my desire to allocate more time to my passion? It is a “why bother” attitude that began peculating from within, as I saw my banking associates lose their jobs, company owners lose their business and with this everyone lose their house. Decades of sacrifice gone just like that. Suddenly it seemed to me that I should take advantage of my vitality and stamina to climb mountains while I still can. My brain will prove useful beyond my body’s ability to climb anyway.
Then yesterday while listening to Marketplace I heard Robert Reich speak about the proposed program to fund healthcare- take from the 1% richest people in America. Being a staunch Republican if I was exhibiting “normal” behavior I would be angered at this wealth distribution proposal. Yet I was amazed at my lack of reaction-no great argument about how this destroys our very essence of what it means to be an American, to have the freedom to expand one’s empire as big as possible. No, instead I just thought, “Well that won’t be me anyway and in the mountains who really cares”.
Yes, times are changing. I am not sure who or what I will become next but I do know that the recession has touched many of us to the core. I am redefining what it really means to be an American and for now—it is the freedom to climb higher—in the mountains rather than the corporate ladder.
Categories: From the desk of Lori Williams
Tags: funding healthcare recession behavior change mountain climbing Robert Reich
Comments