We once convinced ourselves that we’re destined for greatness. We planted in our heads the idea that we were born to fulfil a special purpose in life. We believed that we were special, different and extremely extraordinary.

This is our only drive in life. It is the reason we wake up in the morning. It’s clearly evident in the small tasks we do, our quest to becoming someone important — be it a successful businessman or a published author.

We all want to be recognised and appreciated. We knew that the chances of becoming something important were one in a million, but we always thought that we would be that one. We thought of others as ridiculous and lacking the ability to accomplish anything. As for us, we were certain that we had potential.

We start small and make our way to the top. It’s our small accomplishments that encourage us to keep going, accompanied by the generous compliments that boost our ego. Like a song sung by a siren, it enchants us. Inviting us to work harder, their compelling whispers attract us, telling us that we’re so close to getting what we want.
So, we work harder, adding enormous amounts of tasks to our crammed schedules. All the while, not realising a crucial fact of life. But that day will come, the day we taste the true bitterness of reality.

After climbing up that mountain for years, forcing our bodies to keep going, completely disregarding our muscle aches, we look past the wounds that have been inflicted upon us, all for the sake of getting to the top. But we finally reach a point where we can’t push ourselves anymore. We hold on tighter, unwilling to let go. We wonder: how could this have happened? We were sure that we would last; it’s everything we ever worked for.
The shock strikes us and we fall back, tumbling down to the bottom of the mountain. We lie down, unconscious, unaware of what happened to us. We begin to wake up, and we realise: we’re nothing more than ordinary.

Arthur Miller once said, “Sometimes, it’s better for a man just to walk away.” Maybe one should settle for a simple hill, it doesn’t make you a quitter. You see, the challenge doesn’t lie in the miles that we cover on our way to the top of the mountain. It lies in our ability to maintain a balance and stability the whole way.