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Keep Moving Forward

The world is moving. Things around us are building momentum, growing, and changing. This involved you. Every day we make a choice on what to learn/do. It can be about chemistry, a new hiking trail, a new series on TV, or about the next river you want to paddle. With this comes failure. This is where we learn the most.

You may think I am crazy, but I find failure a beautiful thing. It is a time for learning, to see what went wrong and maybe try a different approach the next time. We all deal with failure, but it is how we use that failure that puts us to the next step in life. For me, it is becoming a stronger paddler, being a more balanced climber, working to play more inspirational music, and finding the next thing in my life to experience.

There is a boulder field in Cookeville, TN that I love to spend time at. There is a rood route there that is dear to my heart. There is a line that I worked on for about two or three weeks. I was going back every day, trying this climb over and over and over again so I could reach the end of the roof and pull myself up the face of the rock. There is a small hold that you have to use to push yourself up to the ‘Hand of God’ (the last hard move of the climb). I could never quite reach it. My hands would give out, my foot would slip, I wouldn’t make it through the beginning; something just always went wrong.

I was driving out to the boulder field to clear my head and get some exercise when I began to really concentrate on the moves of my unaccomplished climb. I had to do it. I could not leave again, beaten without success. I began to tell myself ‘I cannot let go’, no matter the pain, agony or discomfort, I will not let go. I place my boulder pad and place my hands on the first sequence of moves that I memorized and strategized. Here comes the hold, reaching this ‘Hand of God’. What do you know, I just don’t make it. I try again and again, getting frustrated but not moving to another climb today. I clear my head and begin again, this time I’m telling myself ‘never let go, never let go’. I come to the move, squeeze that hold with all with all my might and grab the ‘Hand of God’.

Oh did it feel good, I let out a shout of joy! Let my hand sink into the hold and my legs dangle beneath me. I work through the next few moves and reach the end of the climb. I come down, giving my friend a huge high five and begin to think. I’m very excited but I realize that it wasn’t reaching the end of the climb that was so good. It was becoming strong enough to do it. To keep trying, to keep moving forward until I had grown, learned, and become stronger.

I hope that you never stop learning. Always have momentum in your life. Go out and have some fun! Life is too short to stay indoors.

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