“It’s the rough side of the mountain that’s the easiest to climb; the smooth side doesn’t have anything for you to hang on to.”
-Aretha Franklin
I am sure you have heard the song Ain’t No Mountain High Enough. It is a classic song and one with a message that nothing, not even a mountain will keep two people a part. In today’s quote legendary singer Aretha Franklin refers to a mountain but has nothing to do with overcoming the height of it to reach that someone in your life. Hers has to do solely with us and us alone.
She reminds us that if given a choice of climbing a mountain we should choose the rough side as it is the easiest to climb as opposed to the smooth side. The rough side gives us something to grasp and hold onto, in other words it provides hope and gives us a chance. On the smooth side there is nothing to hold onto too, therefore leaving you stagnant and in the same place as where you started.
Our moral compass is like that rough side of the mountain. Any of those five elements: self awareness, self management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision making are those things that we can grasp and hold onto to as they guide us towards becoming our best selves. They help us overcome any obstacle that we may face in life, even that big mountain that lies before us.
What does this quote mean to you and how can you apply today’s message towards defining/refining your own moral compass?
Becoming The Change 