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“Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty… I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.” — Theodore Roosevelt

Just ask Jim Davidson.

For the past year or so, we have followed his preparation as he attempts to summit Mount Everest in the spring.

I had one recurring thought in my head the first time I sat down and chatted with Jim and it is still something that I have a hard time pondering — even though he gave me the answer… Is it worth it?

After all, he is spending nearly two years of his precious time on Earth working his body to the max to climb 29,000 feet and stand on top of a mountain — that very few people have had the opportunity to, mind you — for at most fifteen minutes.

FIFTEEN MINUTES?!?!

So let me ask again, is it worth it? 

“How could the return investment be that big to make those five minutes worth it,” Jim responded.

It’s deeper than that. It’s about learning who you are, what you are made of and what your body is capable of, testing the limits of the capsule you were provided. “It’s about the journey to get yourself physically and mentally ready to go there and have all of these experiences,” he said. “It’s the journey that really pays off and it’s putting yourself in a position to be open to all of that.”

“That’s really the payoff, because the five, 10 or 15 minutes up top can’t possibly pay you back in a direct way.” That’s why it’s called the Journey to Everest.

By: Jon Yunt

Jim Davidson is a longtime RAC member and active high-altitude climber as well as a public speaker. Read more about Jim and his adventures on his website: Speaking Of Adventure.