Three Hurdles to Summit the Second Mountain

Part II: Three Hurdles to Summiting the Second Mountain

In Part I of this series, I shared that summiting the second mountain means succeeding in business and life, and we face this stage when we begin our third act in the hero’s journey. This typically happens around age 55 but could be a few years earlier or later. Now, I want to share how to begin, which I refer to as Doing the Work, DTW. Without DTW, no one can find a balance between success and fulfillment, and it begins by knowing oneself.

Benjamin Franklin once said, “There are three things extremely hard: steel, a diamond, and knowing oneself.” We cannot balance financial success, personal relationships, and our most profound spiritual passions until we know ourselves.

There are three hurdles to summit the second mountain: understanding our three psychological personalities, embracing friction, and finally, releasing our Original Download (O.D.).

The First Hurdle

We each have an instinctive mode, expected mode, and preferred mode. The instinctive mode is activated by triggers—events and conditions that spark an adverse emotional reaction—which we are unaware is happening. Becoming aware of these behaviors when the amygdala is triggered is not possible. The amygdala prevents us from knowing. Recognizing and healing the trigger requires a buddy, coach, or therapist. The expected self is a mode where we say, behave, and act—and I do mean act as in acting—according to what we perceive others expect from us to fit in. Neither of these modes is our true self, our preferred mode. This is where we are energized, happy, excited, and comfortable saying what we want to say and doing what we want to do. The other two modes stop us from being in our preferred mode. In other words, in most of our living moments, we are not being authentic, transparent, or standing in our power because we are afraid.

The Second Hurdle

Friction is what most call change, conflict, disagreements, or tension. Friction is a necessity to grow or to move forward! Without friction, we cannot walk. The tires under our car spin without friction, and we cannot move. Whenever we experience friction, it signals that there is work for us to understand the source of the friction. Instead of ignoring, resisting, denying, or running away, the student of life learns to embrace friction and, in so doing, learn and watch it dematerialize. When you are experiencing conflict, having an argument, or disagreement, turn the other cheek and seek to understand the other person's point of view. Go deep within and find out what part of you is partially responsible. Like dancing, conflict requires a partner.

The Third Hurdle

The most challenging hurdle to understand and overcome is our Original Download (O.D.), an information blueprint imprinted into our minds at birth.  This blueprint alters our perception of reality and influences every aspect of life. Our O.D. is a collection of all our beliefs, experiences, values, and paradigms based on all the social, political, racial, historical, and cultural beliefs at the time of our birth. Our O.D. forms programs that run in the background of our supercomputer and influence our perception of reality. Our O.D. influences our thoughts, beliefs, mental qualities, personal attributes, gifts, and superpowers. It dictates who and what you think you are, can or cannot be, and is invisible. This invisible Inner Game collectively becomes words, then behaviors, that dictate our actions and ultimately determine a person’s health, success, and happiness level in the physical Outer Game.

Combining these three hurdles, psychological modes plus friction plus O.D., one can better understand why Ben Franklin said knowing oneself is as hard as steel.

With all these surreptitious virus programs running in the background of our minds, it is no wonder it is hard to balance success with fulfillment. But each of us has the power to do so, and that is why it begins at such a late stage in life. By the time we start the third act, we have recognized the social programming, lived through the limiting beliefs, conquered fears, and healed wounds. At this point, we return as the king or queen and finally begin to fulfill our reason for existence as authentic people.