Into Thin Air

I read the book by Jon Krakauer about a disastrous attempt to summit the Everest that lead to the death of five climbers. It poses an interesting conundrum that is as true with regards to life as it is to mountaineering. Only the highly motivated can drive themselves to reach the summit. These are also the group of people who are least likely to accept failure and turn back when they should. The result is often tragic. The book brings out the thin line separating courage and insanity. If you are willing to give up a life-long pursuit of a goal 'cause you think you are not upto the challenge yet, is it courage or cowardice? In life, how far would you push yourselves to achieve a goal and what is worth losing in this pursuit? Of course, this is a very personal question and I don't believe that any one answer can be universally accepted as the 'right' way. It is for this very reason that I question all the self-help gurus that are out in the world to teach THEIR way to the masses.