We all have our Everests…

Jake Norton will help you climb yours.

Welcome…

...to another issue of the MountainWorld Productions E-Newsletter! I hope you enjoy it!

Please pass this along to colleagues, family, and friends who might find it helpful and informative.

In this issue:

1.     Quote of the Month

2.     Because its there...

3.     News from Jake Norton

·        New offices...

·        Kancha & Mingmar Tamang...

·        Fine Art online…

·        Everest screensaver…

·        Upcoming Events & Travel…

·        Autographed books…

4.     Contact Information

Quote of the Month

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

- Marianne Williamson, from A Return to Love
 

Because its there...

The quote this month was a long one, but, I think, a pertinent one. All too often in life, we shy away from our Everests, from going after our loftiest goals, our most jagged summits.

And why? Many of us do it because we are afraid of exactly what Marianne Williamson said in the quote...we are afraid of our greatness. We are afraid of what we might accomplish if we put our minds to the task. We are afraid of our own natural skills, abilities, and talents.

As a result, we allow our sights to be set low. We seek out only those summits we know we can attain, safely ensconced in our self-defined comfort.

But what if we break those ties that bind us? What if we set our sights high, to the highest summits in our lives? Yes, we will be challenged. Yes, the path will be difficult and lined with crevasses.

And, yes, it will be more worthwhile than we can possibly imagine. For by setting our sights high, by seeking those summits which demonstrate our individual greatness, we discover that hidden athlete, artisan, entrepreneur, or scientist that lies within...we discover the greatness which is in all of us, just waiting to be released.

That's arrogant, Jake, some of you might say. Yes, we could look upon it in this light. To relish our own success - our own greatness - can indeed be arrogant. But, it can also be liberating, and not just to us, but to those who surround us. By not shying away from our own skills, from our own talents and abilities, we indirectly encourage others to do the same. So, it is good for us, and altruistic at the same time.

Back in 1923, when asked why he wanted to return to Everest for a third time, George Leigh Mallory quipped to The New York Times: "Because its there..." He would later wax more eloquently on the subject, but his initial reply is the one that went down in the history books.

Flippant though it may have been, isn't it sufficient justification for us to pursue the greatness we harbor within ourselves? To climb those lofty summits we now only dream about?

In my Everest keynote presentations, I encourage my audiences to climb the Everests in their own lives, if for no other reason than because they are there.  

So, what is your Everest?

© 2006 Jake Norton/MountainWorld Productions. All Rights Reserved.

News

New Offices…

Jake Norton & MountainWorld Productions have moved into new offices at the beautiful American Mountaineering Center in downtown Golden, Colorado. Jake shares the building with like-minded organizations such as the American Alpine Club, Colorado Mountain Club, Outward Bound, and the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative. Stop by to visit Jake and these other fine organizations at:

The American Mountaineering Center

710 10th Street

Golden, CO  80401

Kancha & Mingmar Tamang…

Back in 1992, my family and I took a trip to Nepal. It was my first journey to the Himalayan Kingdom, and was quite an eye-opener. Within 24 hours in Nepal, I fell in love with the people of this nation.

A diverse group, the Nepali people span over 36 distinct ethnic groups, speak a myriad of languages, practice varied faiths and have distinct customs. However, one thread runs throughout nearly all Nepali people: kindness and generosity. I have never encountered a people anywhere else who have so little yet readily give so much.

After my first trip to Nepal, my family and I sponsored a young Tamang boy named Kancha (meaning little one in the Tamang language). We sent him to school in Kathmandu, where he learned English (and Nepali - Kancha only spoke Tamang as a boy!), and he graduated from high school in 2000.

Since then, Kancha's livelihood has been impacted greatly by the Maoist insurrection in Nepal. The Nepali economy has been decimated, tourist traffic to the kingdom is minimal at best, and jobs are hard to come by.

To make ends meet for he and his new wife Mingmar, Kancha has been working hard at Porter's Progress, a non-profit for which Jake sits on the Board of Directors. In an additional effort to help Kancha and Mingmar, Jake made a micro-credit loan to them so that Mingmar could purchase and manufacture traditional Nepali bags for sale.

These Nepali purses are made of Himalayan wool and are handcrafted by Mingmar in her Kathmandu apartment. They have been a huge success with children, and make a great gift! And, by purchasing one, you will help Kancha and Mingmar build both a business and a future! 100% of all proceeds will go directly to Kancha and Mingmar. Quantities are limited, so:

Buy a purse online now!

Please email me with any questions, comments, or concerns.

Fine Art online…

Due to the high volume of inquiries about Jake’s photography as fine art prints for home or office, we put up an e-commerce enabled gallery on Yessy. If you are interested in prints for your home or office, have a look: www.yessy.com/mountainworld.

Additional images will be added in the future.

Everest Screensaver…

Want to have the beauty of the high Himalaya right on your desktop? Jake has put together a screensaver of his stunning images from Everest and the Himalaya. Visit MountainWorld Productions to get yours today!

Autographed Books…

Jake was a photographer for and climbing team member of the 1999, 2001, and 2004 Mallory & Irvine Research Expeditions to Everest, which made groundbreaking discoveries about one of the biggest mysteries of exploration history.

Two books on the expeditions – Ghosts of Everest (1999) and Detectives on Everest (2001) – were published. Visit Jake’s eBay Store to buy an autographed copy of either…or both!

Upcoming Events & Travel…

Jake is often on the road, traveling to speaking engagements, working as a photographer on location, or leading expeditions for International Mountain Guides.

·        In September, 2005, Jake will attend and present his keynote Lost on Everest: The Enduring Mystery of Mallory & Irvine at the Rainier Mountain Festival in Ashford, Washington. Admission is free, so come and join Jake and other Everest climbers!

·        Immediately after the Rainier Mountain Festival, Jake will fly to Tanzania to lead an expedition up Mount Kilimanjaro for International Mountain Guides.

·        Jake will deliver the keynote address for the Colorado Mountain Club's Annual Dinner on Sunday, November 13th, at the School of Mines in Golden, Colorado.

·        Browse Jake’s online portfolios or search his online database to see images from his past adventures, or visit his fine art site at Yessy.

Please visit his Schedule page to see where he is off to next!

Contact Information…

Jake Norton is a professional speaker, photographer, climber, and guide from Colorado. He delivers high-impact, multi-media motivational presentations to audiences worldwide, inspiring them to set lofty goals in life and giving them the tools to climb them.

Please forward this newsletter to other people who might find it helpful.

Have a question about Jake Norton or MountainWorld Productions? Please contact us at:

Jake Norton
MountainWorld Productions
2002 Ford Street
Golden, CO  80401

Ph: 303.902.7475

Fax: 303.277.1911

Email: keynote@jakenorton.com

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