Fear, a common topic of mine. I find new ways each day that I am afraid or anxious of something. I noticed this past weekend that I tend to think nerves are “bad”. I didn’t mean to feel that way, it’s just what I noticed. I felt nervous this weekend at the top of the climbing route. Hooking into the anchors and letting go of the rope I was connected to. All so I could get some awesome pictures of my friends. Watching the rope fall made me feel like I was letting go of all the ties I had telling me “I can’t”

How many moments in life do we give up because we listen to the voice that tells us “I can’t”? How many times do we let ourselves fall into bad groups of people that knock us down instead of encourage us to climb? How often do we look out for someone else’s well being instead of thinking of our own?

That’s the thing about climbing. There is such a give and take. If I am climbing on the wall, I need to focus solely on the self. I need to focus on my body placement and balance. I like to feel the rock and touch mother nature, knowing I am so close to her and counting on her body to hold me. As soon as I let myself get in my head, I start feeling doubt, I panic. It makes me wonder, what would I be like if I didn’t hold so much doubt in myself? If I had all the confidence in the world that I can hold myself up, and that when I fall, someone else is there to catch me. What would life be like with that kind of confidence? I need to have trust in the people below me. In the people I surround myself with.

If I am catching my friend who is climbing, then my focus is on them and what move they are going to make. I have a solid understanding of the person I am catching. I know their climbing style. I know when they need a gentle reminder to breath. I am there to give myself to this moment. To be present no matter what may be going on around me. I am the person that will be there to catch them. I am the person their life depends on.

I enjoy the moments where I am forced to trust. Through society, we are taught to be scared and taught to protect ourselves. Taught to not trust by past experiences. Climbing allows me to see that I won’t give that trust to just anyone, so why would I give that same trust to anyone else outside of the wall as well?

More importantly, climbing reminds me of how to trust myself and that even when I fall, when I surround myself with the right people, someone is there to catch me.

Let go of the “I can’ts” let go of the people that don’t encourage you. Keep the ones that will catch you when you fall, close. Oh and, find a friend with a camera and hope they give it to you so you can share your perspective with the world. Thanks Joey ;)

See the photo gallery for this blog post under the Elements site.