Lessons from the Youngest Guides: What Teens/Children Taught Me About Summits
This week, I had the privilege of attending one presentation in my community, and this time, the teachers weren’t executives, thought leaders, or seasoned experts. They were teenagers and children. And to my surprise, they taught me something profound about what it really means to “summit” in life.
We all face summits. Some are small, daily challenges, work projects, relationship hurdles. Others loom much larger, the kind of summits that define the course of our lives: building our family, chasing our calling, or finding our deeper purpose. These young voices reminded me that no matter how high the mountain, it isn’t just about reaching the top. It’s about how we climb, and what we choose to carry along the way.
They spoke about the “pack” we bring with us on our journey. In it, we stuff the skills, values, memories, and habits we rely on to get us through. But here’s the truth they helped me remember: our packs can get heavy. We carry outdated beliefs, grudges, fears, and unnecessary comparisons. To summit the mountains that truly matter, we have to stop every so often, unzip that pack, and ask ourselves: What do I need to set down? And what do I need to pick up?
Then came the distinction that landed deeply with me, the difference between the ego climber and the soul climber.
The ego climber is focused on the photograph at the top, the applause, the title, the “look at me” moment. They reach the summit only to find themselves restless for the next, never truly fulfilled. Their pack is crammed with validation, comparison, and the weight of needing to prove something. I am guilty of having many ego summits!
The soul climber, however, moves differently. For them, the summit isn’t about conquering the mountain, it’s about being shaped by it. They pause to notice the view, share food with their fellow travelers, and sit with the stillness of being small in the presence of something greater. Their pack is filled with humility, gratitude, curiosity, and trust. And when they reach the top, they are fulfilled not because of the achievement, but because of who they became along the way. This is the climber I am working to be!
Walking out of that room, I realized I had simply been guided by some of the youngest, yet wisest teachers in my community. They reminded me that summits are not about “getting there.” They’re about asking ourselves:
Which summits truly matter in my life?
What am I carrying in my pack that no longer serves me?
Am I climbing as an ego climber, or a soul climber?
These are questions I have been sitting with since Sunday and I’ll be sitting with for a long time. And maybe they’re worth asking yourself, too, before you set out on your next climb, ask ourselves, who do we want to be on this mountain?