The Road Less Travelled Is Not Always A Road

“There are many paths to the top of the mountain...”

One night, I had a dream that I slid down a mountain and I was about to fall into the Ocean. Before I hit the water, I caught onto something and started to climb back up. At this point, there were other people around me—most of which were people I loved and respected—and they were climbing faster than me and with bigger loads on their back; some were even carrying other people as they climbed upwards.  I was constantly losing my footing and slipping; I was afraid to fall, anxious to get to the top and frustrated that everyone else was doing better than me.

Then, I noticed a river flowing down the mountain beside me and a long time friend said to me, "Let’s swim up, it's easier that way." He jumped into the river and swam up, reaching the top before anyone else.

I was afraid to follow because the current flowed downwards, but because I trusted him so much, I jumped in anyway and began to swim. I wasn't sure in what style to swim in, because my friend reached the top with front stroke, I tried his way, but I went further down. So I started swimming doggie paddle; still didn't work. Then, I went with breast stroke and found that I reached the top before everyone else. 

Although unorthodox, I realized that by jumping into the river, I didn’t have to be afraid of falling anymore, because one cannot fall while in water. And even though I had to fight the current in the river, it was easier to flow upwards than if I had followed the methods of the people around me and I need not compete with them, because it is only through my own technique that I may reach the top of the mountain.

“.. But there is only one moon to be seen for those who achieve its summit.”- Chinese Proverb