I got scared.
I got bruised.
I got sore.
I got cut.
And I felt more alive than I have in a long time!
I’ve been wanting to do two things for several months now: 1) get into rock climbing, 2) visit Maine. The universe delivered in a BIG way:) Long story short: a timely reconnection with a local friend led to an invitation to go rock climbing in Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine. Twenty-four hours from that interaction, I was meeting my friend at REI and making a capital investment into my new hobby! [For what it’s worth, don’t miss that: the universe presented, and I pounced.]
I can’t begin to do Maine justice here; the intersection of coast and cliff was life-giving for me. The air feels cleaner, the earth looks greener, and the sea is...wicked cold (yes, I jumped in it!). Maine was the melody in my soul that I’d been hearing for a long time but just couldn’t place. But the lessons I’m taking away from the granite cliffs can be adapted to any latitude.
FALLING (FAILING) IS OK
Prior to the trip I purchased a month-long membership at the local climbing gym to learn the basics and build some stamina. But shortly after my first descent from the Otter Cliffs in Maine, I quickly realized that the rock face is nothing like the gym. How on earth am I going to get back up there? I knew I was harnessed, supported, and well-protected, but I was scared as hell of “falling,” which essentially only meant losing my grip on the wall and falling a few inches before the belay caught me. Somehow I made three pitches that morning without falling, but my climbs were frenzied and panicked. It wasn’t until the next day that I learned to trust the belay and utilize the opportunity to rest in the harness, restore my strength, and get a new perspective on the route I was trying to climb.
Falling is part of climbing. “Failing” is part of living. Get after it and get over it, I told myself.
GET LOST TO GET FOUND
There’s a brilliant line by Robert Frost about “getting lost enough to find yourself.” I never truly knew what that meant until I journeyed eight hundred miles away, dangled from 60-foot cliffs, and hiked over a thousand feet in elevation. I was out of my depth in so many ways, and yet I came home buzzing with newfound energy around moves in my business and life! I truly believe there’s a correlation between external and internal perspectives: new views generate new moves.
Create the space to get lost. Whatever’s within your margin, do it. Go to a new park, a new trail, a new height, whatever. Get somewhere less familiar and see what happens.
DIVE IN ALREADY
As if it’s not already clear, the entire trip was an incredible experience for me, but one scene stands out above the rest. Upon our descent of Champlain Mountain, we came to a beautiful lake surrounded by the forest of Acadia (as seen in the photo). The setting was picturesque, almost surreal. I said out loud to our party, “I have to jump in that.” They laughed like I was joking. The closer we got the more we could see people gathered around the edge of the lake taking in the view, but only one person was climbing out of it. I walked to the edge to test the temperature, and then, as if drawn by some invisible force, I removed my shirt and shoes and dove in. It was cold, clear, and altogether cleansing. I proceeded to swim out unhindered to the middle of the lake and soak in the view. Unbelievable.
Maybe you’ve been sitting on the side of some opportunity, waiting to see what others are going to affirm or validate. GET IN THERE ALREADY! The environment is ripe for learning.
What about you?
What beliefs are keeping you on the shore?
What needs to shift in order for you to leap?
Who might you become if you do?
Who might you become if you don’t??
