Getting on top of the mountain is a metaphor, commonly called a comparison or figure of speech to say, in a position of real substance, a place where you feel you have earned your position, and are able to feel the satisfaction and fulfillment of reaching such a level in your life.
Therefore, you have to ask yourself if you have made it. If you have then that’s fantastic, you can sit back and appreciate everything around you. Obviously, getting to the top is different for everyone. Once in such a position, are you done? The risk of becoming all smug is an undeniable one, and a situation you need to be aware of because complacency, although nice, the risk of it backfiring is very real.
Be prepared for a crashlanding! Once at the top, you either stay there, and that requires tenacity and skill which includes massive effort, or you start to slowly lose traction and under these circumstances you better put on your parachute for a safe landing to avoid a serious accident. It probably took plenty of time to get there, so when you arrive you want to stay and appreciate the view below. Besides, heading into a nosedive shouldn’t be an option!
Learning to maneuver cautiously is a necessary skill to stay on top. The best leaders aspire to greatness. They craft themselves astutely to climb the mountain without a pang of guilt to stay on top, as long as possible. Of course, the unexpected occurs, and only then can a true leader rack his brain to find an adequate solution for his quandary. Those who are quick to act and strive to resolve are likely to produce incredible results. One key that could save the day is consistent while constant effort to stay on top; the insight to keep chiseling away to improve ongoing performance.
There is no out-and-out secret for ongoing success, but there is a formula to get to the top. As long as you keep growing by improving your posture and educating yourself whilst making good choices from trial and error then there is every chance of success.
Take care!
Prof. Carl Boniface
Vocabulary builder:
Metaphor (n) = a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.
Substance (n) = material, matter, ingredient, constituent, element, stuff, body, affluence, property, money
Fulfillment (n) = contentment, serenity, success, gratification, self-realization, happiness, joy, satisfaction, self-actualization. What is the difference between satisfaction and fulfillment? Fulfillment is “the achievement of something desired, promised, or predicted” and satisfaction is “fulfillment of one's wishes, expectations, or needs, or the pleasure derived from this.”
Smug (adj) self-satisfied, superior, self-righteous, arrogant, conceited, complacent, self-assured
Backfiring (v) = failing, flopping, go wrong, not go as planned, backlashing, recoiling
Crashlanding (v) = colliding, crashing, falling, smashing, ditching, come down, landing
Tenacity (n) = stubbornness, obstinacy, resolve, firmness, persistence, insistence, doggedness, determination, steadfastness, tenaciousness
Traction (n) = grip, adhesion, adhesive friction, power, pull, tow, tug, tractive force
Nosedive (n) = tailspin, dive, spin, spiral, descent, fall, plunge, drop, tumble, tail spin, plummet
Cautiously (adv) = carefully, watchfully, thoughtfully, vigilantly, warily, prudently, gingerly, with care, (ant) recklessly
Craft (v) = to make or produce with care, skill, or ingenuity. She is crafting a new sculpture. a carefully crafted story. (n) = skill, dexterity, expertise, ability, craftmanship, technique
Pang of guilt (n) = regret, remorse, guilt, repentance, shame, compunction (hesitation, qualm, reluctance)
Astutely (adv) = shrewdly, perceptively, judiciously, incisively, wisely, intelligently, sharply, cleverly, perspicaciously, (ant) stupidly
Rack one’s brain (idiom) = to think very hard in order to try to remember something, solve a problem, etc. I've been racking my brain, but I can't remember his name.
Quandary (n) = dilemma, predicament, fix, jam, difficulty, Catch-22, sticky situation
Insight (n) = vision, understanding, awareness, intuition, perception, acumen, comprehension, discernment (sensitivity, selectivity, taste, acumen, perspicacity, judgement)
Out-and-out (adj) = absolute, complete, total, blatant, obvious, outright, utter
Trial and error (idiom) = the process of experimenting with various methods of doing something until one finds the most successful. "Pupils learn by trial and error."
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