I Climb a Mountain

I stepped on the treadmill. Reluctantly, I pressed the speed to a crawl pace just to go through the motion of doing something after having pulled myself out of bed.
"Come on," urged Id. "Put more energy into it. You're not going to get away with that, not after all the nagging you've done in the past about 'discipline and good habits that become character'," he said, imitating my tone of voice.
"Well that was then," I said. "I now don't see the need to develop any one's character. I'm comfortable without the challenge."
"What happened to all those years of telling us to get out of our comfort zone?" chimed Soul.
"Yeah," said Id. "you were the one who always pushed and said that challenging yourself physically and mentally and getting out of your comfort zone by doing things you usually spend time and energy trying to avoid were the things that kept you going in life."
"Yes, but..."
"No buts." I was interrupted by Soul again. "You seem to have forgotten how you dragged me into a hike up Mt. Baldy on a Sunday morning when I certainly wasn't wanting to go and Id was doing all he could to also avoid the activity, and remember what you said?" she asked, questioning my ideology.
I smiled at the recollection. In those days, I literally thought that spending a morning on a weekend lounging around the house in front of a TV was not the best example of disciplined behaviour especially since I held on to the thought that actions become habits and habits become character. Of course I remembered! I had dragged Soul and Id with the promise of feeling ultimate delight when reaching the top of the mountain telling them "to concentrate on the end result and know that the way down is always easier than the way up, no matter where or in what situation you are in life. Besides," I had said, "when you reach the top, you'll see the valley meeting the ocean below, a view crafted by the hand of God." And with that, Soul and Id had reluctantly accompanied me to absorb whatever I fed them of life.
"Practice what you preach," chuckled Id and brought me back to the dreaded treadmill. "Concentrate on the end result."
"Okay! Enough already!" I brushed him off with annoyance.
Yet, the recollection of my past perseverance ignited a spark that fueled the drive to motivate the challenge within. I increased my speed to a fast walk as I felt the soft rolling floor of the treadmill beneath the soles of my feet. It did not compare to the rugged terrain of the mountain, yet the instrument through which life is lived is the human body. All our experiences are made manifest through the body dictated by the mind. The fatigue, the pounding heart, the surge of adrenalin and the ultimate delight in reaching the top are all part of the mind--body experience.
I increased the speed once more. I started running. I made my heart pound with a boom... boom. My sides pained sharply. There was no one ahead of me and no one behind me. Just the sound of my shoes slapping the rolling stretch of treadmill. Slap, slap, boom, slap, boom, slap, slap, boom. The rhythm was intoxicating like an incantation. I raised the incline to resemble the last stretch of mountain elevation, as I pictured myself on the slopes of Mt. Baldy or Faraya, Mt. Whitsett, Sannin, or the Cedars and all the peaks I'd climbed to watch the views "crafted by the hand of God." I was like a bird stretching her wings to fly over the hills; it felt like a song, a gush of wind, a breathtaking gulp of air, an exhilarating shout.
I slowed down at last, breathing heavily, almost crying, having used both body and mind to relive the ecstasy of having reached the finish line, as it were, and proving once more that the climb was always worth the effort.
"Well done," said Soul softly.
"Thanks," I panted.
"Not too bad," said Id, always leaving room for more.
"Thanks," I repeated.
Tomorrow, I'll climb another mountain.

This I humbly speak...