Maybe the Summit Was a Lie: It Was Always the Work

“The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.”

—Albert Camus

There’s a lie we get sold:

That if we grind hard enough… sacrifice long enough… suffer with discipline…one day, we arrive.

At peace. At success. At some imaginary summit where life gets easier and we finally get to rest.

But what if that summit doesn’t exist?

What if the goalpost keeps moving because it was never about the destination at all?

What if—the work itself—was the point the whole time?

The Sisyphus We Don’t Talk About

In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was condemned to push a boulder up a hill for eternity. Every time he neared the top, it would roll back down again.

Most read that and think, “what a curse.”

But I’ve started to believe something different:

Maybe Sisyphus wasn’t cursed. Maybe he was chosen.

Because those of us who live for the work—we know the truth.

We don’t fear the climb.

We fear what happens when it ends.

My Boulder Wasn’t Just Physical

People look at the physique. The years. The meals weighed, the workouts never missed.

But the real boulder I’ve been pushing is internal.

It’s the discipline forged through discomfort.

The self-respect earned in silence.

The storm that used to live in my mind, now replaced by a stillness I bled for.

I didn’t just build a body—I built a mind that doesn’t flinch.

You see, I’ve spent over a decade moving uphill. Not chasing perfection. Not ego.

Just chasing better.

Grinding to prove to myself that I won’t fold. That I’ll always show up.

And yet, sometimes I catch myself wondering…What happens when I get “there”?When the show is over, when the goal is reached, when I’m told I’ve “made it”?

That’s what scares me.

Because deep down, I know…I wasn’t made for the view. I was made for the climb.

The Lie of “Good Enough”

Let’s be honest—most people are sprinting toward the lowest level of effort they can get away with.

They hit the bare minimum and call it balance.

They do just enough to be “not failing.”

They chase comfort and decorate it with justifications:

• “I’ve done enough.”

• “I need more rest.”

• “I deserve to relax.”

But here’s the brutal truth: Good enough is a death sentence for your potential.

And most people die with a version of themselves still locked inside—because they weren’t willing to suffer to become it.

The Work Is the Point

High achievers don’t live in the illusion of “done.”

We live in the friction.

In the drag. In the discipline.

And the strange part is… we find peace in it.

We don’t push the boulder because we hate ourselves.

We push it because we know—deep down—the man we become in that climb is the man we’re proud to live with.

So we shoulder the weight again.

And again.

And again.

Not because we expect the summit to be different, but because we are different each time we rise.

Ask Yourself…

Are you chasing comfort disguised as success?

Are you living just to coast, or are you becoming someone you can truly respect?

Have you mistaken “balance” for giving up?

Are you settling at the halfway point when you were built for more?

Because you have two choices:

• Accept the drag, the weight, the climb—and become someone unshakable

• Or settle into comfort… and one day, regret that you never became what you were capable of

Final Word

I’ve learned not to fear the work.

Not to hate the struggle.

Not to run from repetition or boredom or the long climb up.

Because maybe the summit was a lie.

Maybe it’s always been about the grit, the resilience, and the man I had to become to keep climbing.

And maybe, like Sisyphus…

I was never cursed.

I was built for this.