At the Crux.

A few years back I participated in an outdoor rock climbing session for experiential therapy. I wanted to climb but I wasn't to enthused about the whole "therapy" part. I understood that the therapists were trying to help, but it seemed ridiculous to me at the time to talk about feelings and goals and "overcoming"...bla bla bla...We weren't laying down on some couch spilling our life stories, we were just going to climb some rocks! When I finally got my chance, I squeezed into my tiny climbing shoes and began scaling a small, challenging cliff. I came within a couple of moves from the top and my arms began to give. They were extremely "pumped." I felt completely spent and was afraid I just couldn't go on. I was so close to the top though, people were cheering me on. I specifically remember the conscious decision I made then. "I can do this. I will do this." I looked deep within me and pushed through what I thought was to difficult.

As I finished the climb and was lowered back to the ground, it dawned on me how parallel this experience could be toward my life. We all experience difficult, fearful, heart-wrenching situations. They seem impossible to overcome at the time. We are "completely spent." We feel like we just can't go on...it's too hard. I realized though, that if I look within myself and push forward with everything I have, I can accomplish what seems impossible. Sometimes the "climbs" aren't difficult but other times we have to access that extra strength within ourselves to pull up the last few feet. The hard part isn't when you start climbing, it's when you've almost reached the top...you're fatigued, maybe scared, your body hurts...but it's then that just one last push will bring success.

I've started to climb again over the last year and am constantly reminded of my experience on the cliffs in Utah. It seems that everything I read related to climbing has an experiential therapy lesson. I must not be the only one who experiences a mind-body connection while climbing! I sometimes struggle with honoring the commitments or goals I make with myself. After a particularly rough period of time I came across a full page add/picture in a magazine of a rock climber high on a difficult climb. In big black bold lettering printed to the left was a quote from the climber. "At the crux. No turning back. I commit." What an awesome, inspiring, and helpful attitude, for climbing, and for life!

"In my three decades as a climber, perhaps the biggest breakthrough occurred when I realized that almost all the mental skills and strategies I learned through climbing could be applied to other areas in my life...In pushing personal boundaries and confronting the unknown, it's common to ponder the benefits of a retreat. Acknowledge such mental battles--between your desire to do new things and your primal instinct to avoid discomfort and failure--as being a normal part of the process. Resolve to persevere and you'll redefine your abilities and perception of what is possible." -Eric J. Horst