Our true Practice Does Not Begin Until We Are In Over Our Heads.

Years ago while on a flight to compete in what would then be the most challenging adventure race I had ever attempted I was reading a book by climbing legend Mark Twight called Kiss or Kill, Confessions of a Serial Climber. It was then and still is to this day one of my all-time favorite books, two hundred and one pages of pure adventure.

I found something oddly soothing in Mark’s stories of hardship, suffering, life and loss. Perhaps I found comfort in knowing that nothing I was about to encounter in my first Expedition Race could possibly be as difficult as even the tamest of stories in Mark’s book. Buried somewhere within that book there was a line that read “it never turns to shit in degrees” those words resonated with me.

As a child I had spent many a day in the back country, camping, hiking and canoeing. While other kids were participating in team sports and school activities there I was in the middle of nowhere with my parents and brother, just us and nature. I came to understand Mark Twight’s words all too well. In nature things often change quickly and one small mistake or oversight can build into something very serious. Adventurers learn, more often than not the hard way, that when shit gets real you must take action immediately.

What would take me much longer to realize, because it didn’t feel like immediate life or death, was that it is not just in nature that things can go bad in a hurry. That same law applies in our daily lives as well and if not respected something I like to call a ‘Divine Storm’ will surface with a force powerful enough to level even the strongest among us.

I’ve experienced more divine storms than I care to admit. I’ve watched friends, family and clients go through them as well, and this week was no exception. In fact I received not one, but two calls from people dealing with exactly that. As I listened to both people explain to me what was going on in their lives, I could feel their deep pain, frustration and fear about just how overwhelmed they were feeling. Both asked the same question “Why can’t I handle this?”

So many responses ran through my mind; ”Of course you can handle this” being the first but I realized this wouldn’t feel very helpful, at least not yet. Other responses entered my mind as well, such as; “because it’s a lot, because you’ve been carrying this burden by yourself for too long now” or “you’ve not dealt with the real issue” But I chose to not say any of that, instead, I did what I believe I do best, listen to their stories and help them find the answers to their own question.

When someone is struggling and feels like they cannot take another step, it’s my job to show them that they can. The process we work through has multiple steps but the starting point is always the same; to change how they view the “problem” they are currently experiencing, to show that every challenge has built within it an opportunity or a blessing, to find an untapped strength that can and will move them forward.

I’ve never spoken with anyone who was in the midst of a Divine Storm and saw it as a blessing. However, we come to learn after weathering a few that our greatest lessons comes from those very storms we wish to avoid. Our true practice does not begin until we are in over our heads.

I truly believe there is no problem so great we cannot solve it. All that is needed is the willingness to change how we respond to the situation. Sometimes all that is required is a change of perspective. Sometimes a shifting of gears is needed, a picking up or slowing down of the pace. Sometimes we need to do the hardest thing of all, face our ego head-on and to admit we don’t have the answers and to ask for help. Everything that happens to us also happen for us, and if we are willing to stay open and learn, we will be better off for it in the long run.

I also believe the Universe conspires with us not against us. And when it feels like everything is unraveling it’s not a punishment, it is the Universe’s version of a wake-up call. This call leaves us with two choices, to continue to avoid the real issues and live in pain & discomfort OR to be courageous, to answer the call and take the necessary actions (no matter how uncomfortable) to live an inspired life.

Answering the call is the only way back to happiness. Re-building can be difficult, in fact it can feel downright uncomfortable in the beginning. Nothing feels familiar and oh how we like familiar. Familiar is often mistaken for security. But avoiding, denying or pretending only creates an illusions of safety, and just like a magician’s trick that feeling can vanish and we are left with nothing. Hardly the peace and happiness we were hoping for. BUT here is the really cool part, the minute we stop the running, avoiding or denying we actually begin to feel better! We have stepped out of the fear and into love, we have stopped the downward spiral, there is only one way to go.. UP “rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life” JK Rowling

Taking action puts the steering wheel back into our hands. When we come from a place of love for ourselves we step into our authentic power. With each step, and every challenge we face, we overcome our past. We come to know that we are not defined or held back by our past unless we choose to be, by letting go of the need to be right, look good, or whatever else it is that we are clinging to, we gain confidence in our ability. We use the lessons learned to make us stronger, better, wiser. We embrace all of who we are, even our imperfections and in doing so we gain the ability to move forward, step into any storm and meet it with a fully open heart.

Thank you so much for reading and if you enjoyed please feel free to leave a comment below or share!

With deep gratitude, Namaste.