Peaks and Valleys depicts the life of a young man who lived in a valley, and was somewhat dissatisfied with the way his life was going. He would ask his parents about the peak, but he still wanted to experience the peak for himself. The author lets us all know that everyone no matter where they are in life has valleys. He tells us this by explaining to us that ‘every peak is between a valley.” This basically means that when someone is in a valley, they came from a peak and are on their way to another peak.
The old wise man that the young man encountered on his journey to the peak made a comparison of peaks and valleys to our heartbeat. He stated that, “like a healthy heartbeat, your personal Peaks and Valleys are an essential part of a normal, healthy life.” He also tells us we should make good use of our valleys because there are valuable lessons to be learned while in a valley, and we can’t stay on a peak if we are not prepared for it.
My college experience can be equated to the book. During college, I have had good times (peaks) and I have also had bad times (valleys). It was the times in the valley when I wanted to give up, but as the author stated “ plateaus are healthy rest for us when you take stock of what is happening and pause and think about what to do next.” In my times of what I felt like were valleys, I had to realize what it was that I was doing wrong, and correct it so that I can reach the peak, which for me is graduation.
The book is helpful because it teaches one how to cope with the good and bad times in life. My favorite quote would be “valleys are moments when you long for what is missing”. The author gives us ways of getting out of valleys sooner, how to stay on peaks longer, and how to get to the next peak in life. He tells us that being humble, grateful, doing more of what got you to the peak, doing more for others, helps us stay in peaks longer.
