I’m happiest at sea level; more specifically, I’m happiest in the sea.

Here I am in Deer Valley, Utah , at 8200 feet above happy.  My body responds by displaying almost every symptom of moderate altitude sickness.  My head is pounding. I’m short of breath. I’m nauseated. It usually takes me a few days to acclimatize.

I think of it as a metaphor.  The higher one climbs in life, the more difficult it is to feel normal.  Many of my coaching clients have reached career altitudes that disorient them. They face situations that make their hearts beat rapidly, and it’s hard to think straight. Often, they are uncomfortable and seeking relief, which is how they came to me for coaching.

“You know why it’s lonely at the top?” I ask them. “Because there are so few people up there.”

When I find myself at altitude, it’s important for me to slow down, not expect too much of myself until I get acclimatized, accept my limitations with as much grace as I can muster, and recognize the beauty of being in a place that takes me out of my comfort zone.

I saw “Prom Night In Mississippi” last night, a documentary showing what happened when the actor Morgan Freemanwanted to end the “tradition” of segregated and separate proms for black and white students at a high school where 70% of the students are black. Parents of some white kidsinsisted ona white prom anyway, and dozens of white kidsobeyed their parents and attended.Can you believe that THIS HAPPENED IN 2008?

I’m wondering: Is it time to choose sides and split up? There’s no compromise on gay rights, racial equality, reproductive freedom, gender equity, and so many other issues where middle ground simply does not exist. Political chicanery knows no bounds as people game the system to get the edge in power so their point of view can prevail.

Forthe first time in my life, I am beginning to understand the feelings that led to secession. When there is such a huge and clearly defined difference in values, whose definition of freedom prevails? When the minority can be persecuted, what is the worth of the democracy? It’s obvious: we CAN’T all get along. What can we DO about that?