adversity quotient - lessons from mountain climbing

ADVERSITY QUOTIENT

What can we learn from

Mountain Climbing?

My thoughts are guided by the book

ADVERSITY QUOTIENT

Turning Obstacles into Opportunities

By Paul G. Stoltz

And inspired by my Love of the Mountains and the

Mountain Climbing I did all those years ago

Current reality or situation

Your Dreams or Aspirations

Creative tension

WHAT IS EMPOWERMENT?

Its about being

WillingAbleand

Allowed

WHY MAY INOT BE WILLING TO

CLIMB?

IQ = Intelligence Quotient

EQ = Emotional Quotient

AQ =

ADVERSITY QUOTIENT

QUITTERS

CAMPERS

CLIMBERS

QUITTERS

Have abandonedthe climb or never

even started

• Blame circumstancesfor their lot in life

• Ignore their full potential

• Are bitter and disappointed

• Do just enough to get by

• Take few risks• Are resentful of

those who ascend

QUITTERS

‘Ah to come to

theend of

one’s life and

realise one has never

lived’

Henry David

Thoreau

CAMPERSSay “So far and no more!”

“Never measure the height of a Mountain,

until you have reached the top – then you will see how low it

was”

Dag Hammarskjold

•Only achieve partial success•They live compromised lives•They fall short of their true ability•They dedicate energy and resources to maintain the status quo

CAMPERS

CAMPING CAUSES

ATROPHY!

Over time campers losetheir ability to

climb – they lose the

edge

CLIM

BER

S Have a strongfaith in

somethingbigger than

themselves

When they reach a deadend or overhang they reroute

Regardless ofbackground, advantages,

good fortune, misfortune….

They continue to climb

POSITIVE THINKERS

Never letting AGE

GENDERRACE

DISABILITY OROBSTACLES

to get in their way

SOMETIMES…..

They grow wearyThey have doubtsThey feel lonely

and bruisedThey question their struggle

They recognisethat even

small stepspay dividends

ONLY CLIMBERS LIVE LIFE

TO THE FULL!!

‘Our greatest fearis not that we will discover that we are inadequate, but that we will discover that we

are powerful beyond measure’

NELSON MANDELA

What are you going to do differently, from today – to start being a climber?

“Nothing splendid has

ever been achieved, except by those

who dared believethat something

inside of them

was superior to circumstance”

BRUCE BARTON

Thank you to Somerset Morkel who taught me to climb and who

let me use some of hiswonderful photographs.

Some of the other photographs I have used I found through the

years and I hope that the owners will see how beautifully they

illustrate my points. They have not been used in any way for

commercial gain.