One of the most devastating trials we can face along the path to self-improvement and spiritual development is the trial of False Summits. This happens when you feel as if you are on the cusp of arriving. You feel like you can see the finish line so you put in an all-out effort to get there, only to realize once you arrive, that it was just a mirage. It wasn't the summit, it wasn't the finish line, it just appeared to be as such, and it knocks the wind out of you.