Who're you calling a Villain? Life's snakes and ladders.

Listening to Jamling Tenzing Norgay on a rain-soaked evening in Kurseong is an experience like no other. His passion for climbing and his deep connection to the mountains come through in every word. Over cups of steaming Makaibari Darjeeling tea, he shares stories of his father’s legacy and his own experiences. One line resonates deeply:

“Getting to the top is optional; getting back down is mandatory.”

Jamling’s credentials are unquestionable. As the son of Tenzing Norgay, the first man to summit Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary, Jamling himself has successfully conquered Earth’s highest mountain. An accomplished speaker, his words come from experience and are delivered with impact.

While Jamling speaks of mountaineering, this idea applies to life itself.

Firstly, getting to the top is a choice, and secondly, descent can sometimes be as important as ascent.

In our relentless drive to achieve more, be successful, get to the pinnacle, be the best, we might often forget that our goals and our success are choices. They are not, and should not be, something we feel compelled to seek or are dictated by others. In fact, if getting to the peak is ultimately detrimental for us, a smarter choice would be to stop and reframe the goal.

The Swiss Everest expedition in 1952 of which Tenzing Norgay was a part, is a poignant example.

He and climber Raymond Lambert reached an astounding altitude of 8,595 meters—just 250 meters shy of the summit. But depleted oxygen supplies, dehydration, and malfunctioning equipment made the climb too dangerous to continue. Norgay and Lambert decided to turn back.

While a heart-breaking decision at the time, this strategic retreat paved the way for the next expedition. The very next year, along with Sir Edmund Hillary, Norgay summitted Everest, using many of the paths he had opened up during the Swiss expedition.

This deliberate choice is important, and should be something we make periodically. Is the destination one that is still energising? Is our path the right one? Should we change course? Should we turn back?

Turning back, or descent, is not a course of action we consider often as we move forward. But descent can sometimes be forced upon us. A family crisis might require us to take a step back from our goals, a job loss can interrupt our growth trajectory. It's natural to think of these as snakes that take us away from our goals in life's game of snakes and ladders, but are they really? ?

The Starbucks Story

In 2008, Starbucks faced an unprecedented crisis. After years of rapid growth, the company hit hard times during the financial meltdown, compounded by shifting consumer preferences and low-priced competition. Suddenly, a four-dollar cup of coffee was seen as elitist in a world where people’s livelihoods were at stake.

Howard Schultz, who had stepped down as CEO but remained Chairman, returned to steer the company through this phase. He closed stores, reorganized operations, and made controversial moves like shutting down locations for retraining. He even took 10,000 managers to New Orleans to reconnect with Starbucks' core values through community service. Schultz used this unplanned descent as an opportunity to realign and redirect, which allowed Starbucks to rebound stronger than ever, solidifying its place as a global brand.

Unexpected descent allows for re-evaluation, opening up new vistas and can even lead to new paths that are more fulfilling.

Planned retreats can be equally powerful.

In their book Peak Performance, Steve Magness and Brad Stulberg, highlight the importance of oscillation—alternating between periods of intense work and rest. Like athletes who cycle through phases of intense training and recovery, regular descents to rest and recharge is a strategy for sustaining long-term success.

As the cosy tea lounge of the Taj Chia Kutir empties after Norgay’s talk, the call to action stands out:

Plant the flag with intention

Our goals and successes are our choices. Reflect often and ask: Are these really my goals? Are they still relevant for me? Are they aligned with my values?

Play ladders and ladders, not snakes and ladders

Reframe how you think of snakes in life's game of snakes and ladders. When the dice of life throws up an unfavourable number, take it as an opportunity to reassess where to go next and how to get there. At the same time, deliberately climb down the ladder sometimes for periods of rest and revitalisation.

Jamling Norgay’s disappointment is evident when he says that mountaineering has become a tourist hobby, an opportunity to click and post pictures of summiting, and that people have forgotten the joy of climbing.

So, here’s to joyful ascents and fruitful descents. May we take time to enjoy the journey, savor the view, and stop to smell the roses.

Until next time,

Cheers!

Shraboni