Everyone has a mountain to climb.  

Mountains are cleverly disguised as problems and daily challenges.  Ron Hoglin knows all about climbing mountains.  He has successfully summitted Mt. Everest twice and leaves soon to do it a third time...this time without bottled oxygen.  In a recent presentation that Ron gave I asked him..."So what stops people from successfully summitting Everest?"   What makes people quit.  I mean it takes roughly $45,000 to do it, at least six weeks to acclimatize your body to the high altitude, years of training....so what would it take to make a person quit?

Ron's response was telling.  He said climbing is 80% a mind-game and the balance of 20% is physical.  He went on to say that..."I can just about gaurantee that the people who quit Everest are the ones that bring a satellite cell phone with them." 

When you have a major goal ahead of you...you cannot afford to have a divided heart and mind. This is to say that if you are focused on climbing a mountain, you cannot allow your heart to be somewhere else. 

To bring this home for you.  Consider your personal "mountain" and tell me if you are focused on it or whether you have a divided mind and heart on the matter.  If you are not "together" on it, you will likely not have the motivation to stick it out in the hard times.

Politicians have to make very difficult decisions, doing what is right is very difficult and the challenge is whether they can align their "heart" to their "mind".  

Your challenge and mine too...is to keep them in balance but at the end of the day...if you lose your focus...you will not make it to the top of the mountain...and even worse...you may die along the way.  

The next time you have a mountain to climb...consider not bringing your cell phone with you...a divided heart and mind can be costly.

Everything works like a team.  Bands are a team, everyone has their role...play bass, guitar, sing or drums.  Everyone is important...together they are powerful.  Just ask U2.

Really, when you think about it --- everything operates that way.  Governments that operate with the favour of the people are a team...those that do not...are called a dictatorship.

Businesses operate this way as well.  The better the team culture, the more successful the business.

Successful families operate this way.  Sports examples are everywhere...hockey teams that understand this power...win. 

So the examples are far and wide...but for most of us...we never really understand or experience the power of team.  So the question is, "If we know it works, why do we not experience it in our lives?"

I suggest that we don't believe it.

We give lip service to its power, but our choices show us what we really believe.

If "team" is everywhere...and it seems to be the way the cosmos is organized...what is the big deal?   What is the urgency about changing my paradigm? 

It is a matter of life or death.  Perhaps a little dramatic...but true no less.

When we look at the human body...we see the example of team.  What part is the most important part in the human body?  What part runs the show?  Well the answer to this question is that they all are "most important".  Try running the body without a leg or skin or an ear and it just does not perform like it is supposed to.  Everything is important. 

But remember the comment about team being "life or death"...yes, well my question for you now is if we choose not to be "team-oriented"...then we are being independent.  We are going to "do it my way" as Frank Sinatra would sing.  Now refering to our human body example..."what is the only example of independent thinking in the human body?"  Can't think of one...well it is called "disease" or better known to us as cancer.  Cancer cells do not relate to the cells around them and decide to go on their own independent course.  The result of cancer gone wild is death.   Ask any medical professional and they will tell you that cancer works independent of the cells around them.  They stop interacting with other cells and start multiplying at a crazy rate.

So yes, there is some urgency in my post today.  Insist on working in teams in all projects that you put your hand to.  I have decided to not go into any business unless I have partners.  Everything I do is team.

If U2 can make amazing music together as a team...let's commit to team and make amazing music with our lives for the benefit of others.