3 Surprising Quotes from Sir Edmund Hillary that Contradict Established Thinking
A quote that captures your imagination can change your life, or at least your day.
#1. Vision:
“I never had a vision to climb Mt. Everest, as with everything else it just grew.”
You may not know the long-term vision, but that’s no reason to sit in a recliner eating cookies and milk.
Self-reflection is necessary. Prolonged inaction exaggerates confusion.
Sir Edmund discovered that he loved climbing mountains, so he climbed mountains. The vision for climbing Everest grew out of love of climbing.
Love gives birth to vision.
#2. Confidence:
“I believe if someone starts out on a challenging activity completely confident that they’re going to succeed, why bother starting.”
My feeling was we would give it everything we had.”
Base confidence on effort, not outcome. There’s an element of luck to reaching the summit of Everest. The weather changes and you could be driven off the mountain. You can’t control outcomes; you can control effort.
Realize you can be confident and uncertain at the same time. Bravado is confident about everything.
Fools are confident where wisdom wonders.
If you need certainty to begin, the things you begin will be small.
#3. Energy:
“I never climbed up anything one step at a time.”
Choose enthusiasm.
Remarkable success calls for unshakable energy. Half-hearted effort is fully dissatisfying. If you can’t go all-in, go all out.
Dabblers insult opportunities.
Half-hearted effort devalues talent and insults teams.
- Give your best even if you aren’t fully appreciated.
- Make commitments based on your values, not other’s behaviors.
- Express gratitude when you feel underappreciated.
- Don’t perform poorly to punish lousy bosses.
- Care when it feels safter to isolate.
You need a new destination if half-hearted commitment takes you where you want to go.
Do something where failure matters.
Which Sir Edmund Hillary quote catches your imagination?
Read what Sir Edmund Hillary did on top of Mt. Everest. The Obsession of Successful Leaders
Source for quotes: Sir Edmund Hillary Interview
“I am a lucky man. I have had a dream and it has come true, and that is not a thing that happens often to men”
A salutary reminder that even with effort, determination and backing, not everyone gets to realise their dream.
“I believe if someone starts out on a challenging activity completely confident that they’re going to succeed, why bother starting.” WOW- Love, love, love this. The word COMPLETELY defines the entire sentence. If one is completely confident of success seems that there is a lack of challenge. If you are growing you are not comfortable, if your comfortable you are not growing.
“I never climbed up anything one step at a time.”
Commitment -even courageous commitment- is required for significant advancement. Contrary to Sir Edmund’s other quote about vision, though, I am a believer in the “mental creation” that precedes the material accomplishment of results. If you don’t know what success will look like (at least generally), how do you know when you get there? At least some contemplation of destination was required, even for Sir Edmund.
oh, I needed this today, especially #3. Thank you Dan! 🙂
I’m late to commenting on this, but wow, what great quotes. “Do something where failure matters.” I’m currently working on a few things where if they don’t pan out, some would consider it a complete waste of time, in fact years. However, there are things that if you don’t make an attempt, you have to live with a heavier weight. Great timing on this.
Awesome inspiration. Thanks again, Dan!