Lessons From the Rocks

As the saying goes: The only constant in life is change.

Change happens every second of every minute of every day. While life’s big events seem to swoop in hard and fast, with a staccato effect, and force intense change, the truth is that every moment of life is actually born of change. Even when life is cruising (thank goodness for those times!), it’s actually a constant accumulation of change. If we can lock into this perspective more moments than not, it can have a calming and relieving effect on us.

We are part of a fluid process. All. The. Time. 

Whenever I’m attached to a rock face and rock climbing, I’m hit with this perspective.

As you advance in rock climbing, there are fewer “holds” for your hands and feet. Harder grade (difficulty and danger rating) climbs have set movement patterns you need to follow in order to advance up the wall. It becomes a choreographed dance as you go, using breath, strength, and flexibility. The wall is your dance floor, the brain your music, and the body the dancer.

In the beginning of the climb, the puzzle that needs to be solved requires broad stroke fitness. As the complexity of the climb builds, so do the requirements of strength and courage. You have to start relying on finger holds, rather than hand holds. In the absence of foot holds, you start relying on foot “smears”, or using your climbing shoe’s rubber sole as friction for leverage. You also have to execute reaches between points, creating tension when the body is fully extended. The mind sharpens. A new kind of presence and reliance on faith take over.

Climbing increasingly complex grades builds on previous experiences, and with each new grade of difficulty, you’re rewarded with newly earned knowledge and strength. 

Courage works the same way. 

When we look at things that inspire awe in us, we are most commonly reflecting on the end result. We are looking at the masterpiece of what the courage brought to fruition. But, like learning to climb rocks, there are many micro-moments that we build from to increase our abilities.

The rocks remind me that each time I go out and push just a little bit further or try something a slightly different way, I create a new “knowing” inside of me. Sometimes it’s a way that simply works, and sometimes it’s a way that doesn’t. Either way, the knowing becomes a part of my foundation from which to build.

When my courage isn’t in a great place, I start on a lower grade climb and build myself up again.  When my courage is strong and ready to be tested, I will try something new that expands my potential. Life works the same way; sometimes we need to fill our tank to pull courage from, sometimes our tank is full and so we can try to expand its capacity.

What ways do you build, rebuild, and expand courage in your own life? It’s the very connective tissue that connects us from one point to the next in life! Whether it’s the courage to breathe through difficult times and find ways to fill the tank or offer courage back to the world as an expression of gratitude for the journey, it’s worth reflecting on your courage and where it can take you!