People are overwhelmed looking up at the Mount Everest of

Hear the words of Ed Begley, Jr., a man whose life has been a testament to stewardship of the earth, who spoke thus: “People are overwhelmed looking up at the Mount Everest of environmental challenges that we face. But you put one foot in front of the other and you recognize that not everyone is Sir Edmund Hillary.” This is both a lament and a call to courage. For in his words lies the acknowledgment of the immensity of the crisis that confronts us—climate change, pollution, dwindling forests, poisoned seas. They rise before us like a towering mountain, immense and unyielding. Yet he counsels that the path forward is not in despair, but in steady steps, each small yet purposeful.

The meaning is clear: to gaze too long at the summit of Mount Everest is to be paralyzed by its height. To measure oneself only by the heroes who reached its peak—by the Sir Edmund Hillarys of history—is to surrender before the journey begins. But Begley calls us to another wisdom: though not all are born to plant flags upon summits, all can walk forward. The strength of humanity does not lie only in its rare heroes, but in the steady, countless footsteps of ordinary men and women who move faithfully, step by step, toward the good.

Consider the story of the Civil Rights Movement. Many remember Martin Luther King Jr., the great voice, the heroic summit-climber. Yet the movement was not built on his shoulders alone. It was forged also by countless unknown men and women who marched, who registered to vote, who sat at lunch counters, who bore insults and blows without surrender. Not all were leaders, not all were heroes in the world’s eyes, but each step they took brought the movement closer to its victory. So too with the environmental challenges of our time: the triumph will not come from one climber alone, but from the multitudes who choose to walk.

Begley’s origin in this teaching is his own life of activism, lived not in grand gestures alone but in simple consistency. He has long been known for riding bicycles, installing solar panels, reducing waste—acts that seem small when set against the immensity of the planet’s wounds. Yet his point is profound: do not despise small beginnings, for they are the stones upon which great monuments are built. The mountain is not climbed in a single leap, but in countless steps, each one no larger than a human stride.

The teaching carries with it also a rebuke to despair. Many today look upon the climate crisis and say, “It is too late, it is too vast, nothing I do matters.” This is the voice of paralysis, the spirit of surrender before the mountain. Begley answers with courage: take the first step, no matter how small. Plant a tree, conserve water, reduce waste, speak the truth. You may not be Hillary, scaling summits, but your footsteps still matter, and when joined with millions of others, they become the movement of nations.

The lesson for us is this: greatness lies not only in the hero who plants a banner, but in the multitude who take steady steps forward. In your own life, do not wait to be a conqueror of mountains; be a faithful climber of hills. Reduce what you can, inspire who you can, support those who lead. For though you may not reach the peak, you are part of the ascent, and the summit belongs to all who climb, not just to those whose names are remembered.

Practical action flows from this wisdom: commit to one new habit of sustainability each day or each week. Walk when you can, eat wisely, honor the land in your choices. Do not compare yourself to the great heroes, but measure yourself by your own consistency. For the mountain of environmental crisis will not be climbed by one man, but by the steps of a generation.

So let Begley’s words be carried forward: do not be overwhelmed by the summit—take the step before you. For even the mightiest mountain yields to steady footsteps, and even the greatest challenges are conquered not by heroes alone, but by the faithful persistence of many. Walk on, children of the earth, and the summit will one day be ours.