Arête

origin: Greek: excellence, fulfillment, or virtue.

Arête was originally a goddess in Greek mythology that represented virtue. It is where the concept of Arête was shaped.

From all three meanings, I believed that the fulfillment of something’s or someone’s highest potential is the best definition for the word. But, I noticed that I tend to subconsciously focus more on the outcome rather than the process.

Recently, I have been learning that maybe excellence could serve as a better definition. I mean the road to fulfillment isn’t always clear. The outcome may not be yet decided. At the end of the day, we are living a collective human experience. We may encounter periods of vagueness along the way. Or simply we may change our minds.

Just discussing this concept, I can’t help but be reminded of my first mountain climb. I decided to join some friends to hike the mount of Catherine. I had no idea what to expect. Nevertheless, it was exciting. I learned a lot that night. So, here is some of what I have learned through the process.

1- The people you start the journey with may not be the ones who keep your company every step of the way.

Midway through the hike I got separated from my friends. The path leading to the top was pitch black. I was so scared but decided to keep moving forward anyway. I started to hear some noise and to my surprise, two Bedouins appeared out of nowhere. Each one of them held a rope in their hand. I stared in the dark for a while…a camel’s head was peeking at the other end of each rope.

“As-Salamu-Alaikum.” I greeted them in spite of the initial fright I was feeling. They responded and asked me if I knew where I am going. I told them that I got separated from my group and I asked if I was going in the right way to the top of the mountain. So, here I was…walking an unknown path with two strangers through the dark.

One thing about me is that when I get nervous…I talk…a lot. So, I started a conversation with the two Bedouin men (later on, this conversation was the inspiration for a shift toward the current career I am pursuing, but this is a story for another time). I remember their names; Mahmoud and Saleh. We talked about the Bedouin culture, and the difficulties they face in such a remote area and even listened to how Mahmoud was teasing Saleh about his current love life situation.

It worked! I definitely felt more at ease with the climb. They offered to put my bag on the back of the camel and eventually, I was the one who got on the back of the camel as they saw that I was getting tired. At first, I refused, in an attempt to see how far I could go without any help. But, I listened to their advice and hopped on the back of the camel.

We reached the end of the mountain trail. This was as far as they could keep my company. To reach the monastery at the top of the mountain, I had to climb more than a thousand steps of stony stairs. I thanked them and went ahead my way.

2- It is your own path…your own rules.

I started to climb the stairs. How can I describe the stairs? Dangerous. The stairs were steep. The best thing you can do is to look forward. If you looked back it seems like you are hanging in the air; one wrong move and you could fall back off the mountain. At this point, I was reunited with two women from the group I started the climb with.

The plan was to reach the mountain top at sunrise. So, there was an overwhelming pressure of reaching the top on time. I was exhausted and the stairs seemed like they could extend to reach heaven. I started to chat with one of the two women from the group. She was Irish; visiting Egypt for the first time. She noticed the exhaustion on my face. She leaned near my ear and said:” You know it is your own path. Don’t let people around you dictate the pace for you.” I responded with a nod and a smile.

3- Along the way, you may find a place that aligns with your heart. It is ok to readjust your sail.

I hear someone calling my name. Finally, a familiar face. I was reunited with one of my friends. The Bedouin man guiding the hike was there as well. We continued climbing together. One woman was climbing her way down and shouted in my face: ” Keep going!!”

But, ignoring this view to continue this race seemed absurd to me. It was beautiful here. The sun was starting to rise; like a blanket uncovered, unraveling the ridges of the surrounding mountains. Sunlight was piercing through the clouds. It was breathtaking, to say the least. We decided rather than continue the climb, to sit down and take in the view. It was quiet and calming.

They say that the arête of something is the fulfillment of its purpose. That is the beauty of it; you can choose your own definition. As a woman, society could define my arête as being a mother, which is a possibility. But, I could define my arête as simply creating. As to focus on the process rather than restrict me to an outcome or an expectation from me. Because you see, I am coming to the realization that being mindful and present in your journey and to the messages, your heart is trying to convey, is far more important than following someone else’s rule. 

I, later on, discovered another definition for the word. Arête (noun):  a sharp-crested ridge in rugged mountains. Huh…What a coincidence 😉