Success

Success is different things to different people.  My definition of success and my description of what it is to me may differ entirely from yours.  That’s okay, because I’m the one living my life and you’re the one living yours.  Success is a touchy subject for some people, especially if they’re highly competitive.  I want to share with you what success is to me at the age of 37.

Success is trying my hardest, giving my best effort, and reaching just one hold beyond what I did on the last attempt.  It is reaching my full potential and realizing the dreams I have of fulfilling the measure of my creation in climbing – mentally, physically, and spiritually.  It is overcoming and managing fear, anxiety, and all the extreme emotions of both climbing and PTSD so that I can experience intense focus and pure movement on the rock – freedom, peace, and vitality.  It is those moments when I break through, when my mind allows my body to move and flow through the movements it knows how to do – the most alive I can be.  It is the interaction with nature and something beyond and outside myself on the wall…when we are one and the rock allows me to find my way, revealing it one hold at a time as I focus on the next hold.  That is all that exists.  Success is touching the stone, allowing myself to be touched back.  Focusing on the next hold… and climbing.  It is continuing to try and refusing to quit.  It is not allowing anything or anyone to take climbing away from me.  It is a choice.