Mountain Tops Are Small. And The Air Is Thin: Rule No.6
Success is rented space, and the rent is due every day. The mistake isn’t in the climb—it’s in believing you can stay at the top without effort. In this piece, we explore the nature of success and failure, how to redefine growth, and why champions never stop climbing.
The Cost of Victory: Why Champions Keep Moving Forward: Rule #5
The arena is never empty. The crowd never quiets. Whether I am alone in my room or standing at the precipice of a challenge, I hear them—those voices, spectral and unrelenting. Some belong to those I have known: mentors, friends, skeptics, family. Others are strangers whose words have carved themselves into the marrow of my self-perception, echoing in the chamber of my mind.
They whisper caution. They roar doubt. They ask, again and again, Are you sure?
The Privilege of Pressure: Rule #4
Billie Jean King, the tennis legend and Medal of Freedom recipient, once said: “Pressure is a privilege.”
The first time I heard it, I recoiled. Could pressure really be a privilege? Or was this just another polished mantra designed to reframe hardship as something noble?
But now, I see it clearly.
Ubuntu and the Miracle of Sacrifice: Rule #3
On that January morning eight years ago, I didn’t fully grasp the sacrifices ahead. My focus was singular—a visa, an opportunity, a chance to start anew. I had 24 hours to reach the U.S., 24 hours to arrive in New York, 24 hours to begin my journey at St. John’s University.
Blind Spots and Breakthroughs: Embracing Rule #2
It’s fair to say that at some point, we’ve all been victims. I think it’s also fair to say that we’ve all felt like a victim—whether a victim of circumstance, the patriarchy, the system, or someone else’s actions.
When I first revisited this rule, my knee-jerk reaction was to internalize it and start hastily crafting my defenses. I heard myself say, “Well, Daniel, you’re not a victim. You don’t make yourself a victim. You’re a survivor, a fighter, and resilient. You’re all these things you’ve said about yourself and heard others say about you.”
But instead of leaning into that deceptive comfort, I did what the teacher in me would advise my scholars to do:
Grab the dictionary and define the word.
Read it a few times to fully understand it.
Process it with clarity and intention.