There's a strange irony in being born in the land of the highest peak yet forgetting to stand tall.

Nepalis today dream of distant lands, idolise foreign lifestyles and chase opportunities far beyond our mountains. We scroll through our phones, consuming stories of Everest summits by foreigners, but how often do we stop to remember that Everest is ours? That we are the people of the highest peak on earth?

Sagarmatha did not rise for the world-it rose from our land. It was not just discovered; it was always here, long before anyone measured its height or wrote its name in history books. But somehow, along the way, we let the world claim it in ways we never should have allowed. We, the children of Everest, seem to have forgotten our inheritance.

Think about it-what country in the world has a natural landmark so universally recognised, so symbolic of human endurance and greatness? The world may take inspiration from Everest, but Nepal is Everest. This is not just a peak; this is our calling.

Yet, we shrink. We chase validation from outside, we seek identity elsewhere. We measure success in visas, not in the heights we were born to reach. How can the people of Everest settle for anything less than greatness?

But Everest still stands, unwavering. It does not ask for recognition, nor does it seek approval. It does not need the world to remind it of its height. It simply exists in its grandeur-untouched by the world's doubts, unaffected by fleeting trends. Shouldn't we, its people, embody the same resilience?

History has shown that we are a nation of warriors, of dreamers, of people who rise no matter how often we fall. Our ancestors were not afraid to face hardships, to carve paths where there were none. Yet today, many of us forget our roots, looking elsewhere for inspiration when it has always been right here, in our own land.

Everest has never bowed to anyone, and neither should we. It is time we reclaimed our pride. It is time we remind ourselves and the world that Nepal is not just a country that houses Everest-Nepal is Everest.

We don't need permission to stand tall. We don't need the world to remind us of our worth. We were born here, in the land that chose the highest peak, and it's time we started carrying that truth in our hearts.