Me, A Rock and Amazingness

So.... I faced a fear and went rock climbing.

I was asked to put together a list of five things I have always wanted to do a bit ago. I decided to put things on that I knew would make me feel stronger and better for doing.

First was feeding the homeless. I have never really like the homeless. I guess I did not really understand them. Always saw them as lazy people that tried to make the hard working feel bad for them and excuse their lack of contribution. So I figured serving them would be the best way to learn compassion. And it worked like a charm. I loved the experience and was able to learn a lot about human nature and had an overwhelming feeling of love as a whole for people. Highly recommend doing this service at some point.

Another thing on the list was rock climbing. I- as I KNOW you know- am a wimp. Don't like thrills, don't like heights, don't like pushing myself.... just a big old wimp. So I have always thought people climbing rocks were so amazing and thought, this was something I should give a whirl. I was lucky enough to have a private lesson set up for me and ended up spending a full day working at being amazing myself. The lesson started with "boulders". Meaning up to 15 feet boulders you had to climb without any equipment, just your bare hands and wobbly feet. It was extremely hard and though I was determined to get it... it sometimes got me.

After a solid hour or so of working on the boulders it was time to advance to knotting up our ropes and gear on our bodies. This was something I excelled in quickly which was nice because it rebuilt any confidence the boulders had taken from me.

Then it was time. Time for the BIG one. I looked at the freaking beast of a rock and then my instructor and laughed. I thought for sure the man had lost his mind if he thought he was getting me up the thing. But as I have learned with myself, I knew I had to be the first to climb or else I would work myself up too badly and talk myself out of the activity all together. In fact, I already had myself pretty much talked out of it, but before I knew it I was 80 feet up and LOVING it.

This is the BEAUTIFUL park of Joshua Tree

I conquered so many of my own made up restrictions on myself that day and became my biggest fan. It was hard, both physically and mentally, exhausting, painful and nerve racking- and also one of the funnest things I have done.

Me telling the instructor he must have lost his mind

Him telling me to shut it and climb

THE AFTER MATH