How Are Mountains Formed?
Don’t panic, this isn’t a geology fieldtrip. Stay with me for a minute.
When two tectonic plates beneath the earth’s surface meet, their edges push together. Think of what happens to an aluminum can when you crush it. It’s similar! The result of these tectonic plates crumpling is huge slabs of rock are pushed up into the air and mountains form.
The tectonic plates beneath India and Asia crashed together over 25 million years ago and, The Himalayas, including Mount Everest, formed. They’re still pushing against each other today. The Himalayas are still growing! It takes a while to grow a mountain.
What About Hills?
There are several ways to grow a hill:
- Hills are formed by deep erosion of areas raised by disruptions in the earth’s crust.
- Erosion forms hills by carrying away the soil on a mountain, leaving a hill behind.
- Humans make hills by moving soil and dumping it.
- Volcanoes form hills when they erupt, and volcanic ash is spewed through the air. Lava or molten rock hardens and builds up a thick layer of lava rock. The ash falls on the lava leaving a layer of ash on the hill. When it rains, this layer of ash mixes with the rainwater and produces black colored water. This water freezes causing the lava rock to crack and crumble and eventually erode to form a hill.
Are You a Mountain or A Hill?
Think about some of the hugely successful people in the world:
- Richard Branson; head of the Virgin Group formed in the 1970s. Virgin controls more than 400 companies in various fields. Branson’s net worth is $4.2 Billion.
- Oprah Winfrey; Today, her net worth is $2.6 billion, according to Forbes. Oprah beat poverty, abuse, relationship problems, and race and gender issues to become the most famous TV host of all time.
- In 2017, Argentinian soccer player, Lionel Messi earned $111 million including over $80 million in earnings from a contract extension with Spanish club, FC Barcelona, and an additional $27 million from endorsement deals. His total net worth reportedly stands at $400 million.
- Tennis star Serena Williams has a net worth estimated at $180 million. With the most Grand Slam titles of any player, she has dominated the sport throughout her career, she’s won 72 titles, 796 matches and only lost 133.
What Do They Have in Common?
Success! All of them have reached prominent levels of success in their chosen field. Not one of them got there overnight. It took at least effort and determination. Nobody was given a free ticket and they have all experienced challenges and they found solutions.
You could argue that these people are mountains and perhaps for some people the thought of reaching such lofty heights is beyond comprehension. Looking up at their brilliance might be inspiring and might even encourage some of us to want to become mountains but mountains are outnumbered by hills.
There are many entrepreneurs who are successful and might admire Richard Branson; the Everest in their world. Countless soccer players never play on the world stage but provide thrills each time they get on the field; the same with tennis players. How many TV personalities never go beyond their local network but inspire and entertain their audience?
We need great mountain-like people to lead the way and maybe your goals are set to become one of them. But we also need everyday people like the hills because they are the stunning background and roots of our world.
People don’t always identify with the towering mountains yet there is plenty to be discovered from looking up at them.
Hills Are Different
They don’t give up everything to achieve the level of success that will provide the life they desire, and people still admire their beauty. It might be that they’re not as brilliant as the mountains and they’re not willing to give up as much but they count never-the-less and people are inspired by them as they work to make positive differences in their lives and those of others.
People like the hills and admire the mountains.
What’s your preference?
Comments and Questions
Please leave yours below. Your thoughts or questions may well ignite a positive spark in another readers thinking. You will always receive a prompt response to your questions and there is no such thing as a bad question; only the one that was never asked.
Here’s to a successful day
Peace & Light
and
Seasons Greetings
Steve Costello is a British Community & Youth Studies and Psychology honors graduate with over 30-years theoretical and practical experience in the Personal Development public and private sectors. He founded ExGro in 2018 with business partner, friend and clinical psychologist, Leo Faerberg.