Recently I have found myself in an interesting conundrum trying to determine the best course of action. Let's say I take option A. That means I remove myself from a position of being able to have a say. I could end up the winner, or I could lose it all. Option B means I maintain the power I have at least potentially. It has been a tough decision and I cannot help but notice how much of the decision is being influenced by the fear of losing it all. Debating with others the value of option B makes me very aware of choosing to stay in the shadows. 

I sat with the feelings this situation provoked. I realized was my reaction was born from a collage of beliefs, all wrapped in negativity. Belief about my own abilities, belief about how I am perceived. Belief about the other people involved in this situation. Belief about what this all means.

And yet it was all just thoughts that I could not possibly know were true. I could not know if everything I was thinking was accurate because so much of it was in the minds of others. I was choosing to believe in the perspective I was under attack and needed to defend myself. 

The greatest athletes I have known are able to see the possibility in a moment. I am not sure if they just have less concern about others, or if they have greater confidence in themselves. A great athlete takes a moment of defeat and uses it to learn, or to improve the future moments. That's the real winning... being in a growth mindset as much as possible.

This week I awoke one morning with a head cold. Sinus filled and runny nose, sneezing, coughing and general malaise. I had a couple of work calls on my schedule and I spent the morning trying to feel better and decide if I should call in sick. One thought that struck me was, there are many who call in sick with the slightest sniffle, it is not the end of the world. I was trying to justify not attending the calls so I would not feel bad.

​I grew up with the knowledge that we, my siblings and I, would not go home until we had picked enough blueberries to fill the Colonel Sanders Kentucky Fried Chicken family bucket. We were not allowed to go out until homework was complete and chores were done. We needed to commit our weekend to helping with stacking firewood - all 3 cords.  We were raised by a woman who lived through the tail end of the depression in a home with a father away working and 6 children, half of whom were younger than she was. My father was raised and worked on a dairy farm and was making money selling belts when he was in his early teens.

This upbringing taught me to value a strong work ethic and to prioritize getting things done and getting them done right before play and rest. I am grateful. This value has allowed me to be successful in all my pursuits be they physical pursuits as an athlete, academic pursuits, and professional pursuits. You see, the willingness to be uncomfortable and keep going is essential to doing the next level, whatever that next level is for you in the moment you are in.

During my long tenure as a coach I would advise my athletes to establish goals that were based on the things they could control. For example, rather than setting a goal to win regionals, set a goal to be consistent onsighting the grade most likely to be set in routes at regionals.

If financial security is the goal, then determine an amount of savings in the bank that brings the sense of security. If there is number that gives you a sense of security, then set a goal to get to the amount you need to put into saving to get to that number, do you need a second job or other source of income? Or do you need to tighten the budget? Then set the objectives to get to the number you want.

In my experience, we are pretty good at not always choosing the right goals and really only get to know that through achieving something and finding out it wasn't really what we wanted. For example, the feeling of financial insecurity may stem from the annual salary we are getting. Looking around at folks we know and what they make, we may think we should be making more. However, it could be related more to the sense of not being valued leads to feeling financial insecurity, which leads to believing if we had more money, we would not feel this way. If the real desire is to feel valued; a feeling not contingent on the money in the bank. 

A desire to feel valued begins with valuing oneself. To achieve that goal, you have to look to yourself first to take steps to compliment your work, to value your time, to ensure you negotiate for what your personal needs are, and to live in accordance with your own values. Not only that, you must acknowledge your accomplishments every time you hit those. Gradually, you will feel that you are valuing yourself. 

Bottomline... to determine what goals to set, you need to know what leads you to the positive emotions of being fulfilled, that your contributions matter to something much bigger than yourself. An Olympian who competes to win a medal for the sense of self aggrandizement will quickly falter when the ego is battered by the better performance of another athlete.  The Olympian who competes for the love of the sport and the Nation's betterment will not be deterred by the high performance of another athlete. They will be spurred on to try even harder. 

I get to work with a variety of learners in a variety of formats and with a variety of content. There is nothing worse in my books than spending my time with people who do not want to be there. These folks are not motivated or inspired. A motivated person will show up with some curiosity about what they can take from this experience, be that knowledge or connections. An inspired person is hungry. They not only look for what they can learn, and who they can meet, they look for how what they get from this experience can take them to a place of being able to give to others. 

Motivation is driven by a desire to reach a goal. Consider this quote by Muhammad Ali, "Don't count the days. Make the days count," This is designed to motivate action in the moment. If you want to complete a degree, don't count the days until graduation, make the days count toward earning the degree - go to class, do the work.

Inspiration is rooted in purpose. Patanjali, the author of the Yoga Sutras is quoted as saying, "When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds; your mind transcends limitations; your conscious expands in every direction; and you find yourself in a great, new and wonderful world". Inspiration is taking yourself beyond what you believe is even possible. That takes a great deal more than motivation, it takes a belief in the value of the effort.

As an athlete, I was not inspired. I was motivated to try hard and make the days count by doing deliberate practice. I struggled to buckle down to do the weight lifting or campusing. I struggled to make the days longer than the additional rep required. I did not enjoy the process, nor did I feel motivated to work through great pain for some send that was the next level for me. 

However, as a coach, I am inspired to get my athletes to believe in their own potential to be a better athlete than they currently were. That means I am inspired to understand the biomechanics of movement, to learn body cues that told me what muscles the athlete is activating, and where they are not activating. It requires me to learn about injuries and understand the best course of rest and return to play. Most importantly, it requires me to understand the attitude and individual purpose of each athlete. Their unique internal dialogue when confronted with challenge and fear. Using my own body and mind as a research subject, I am able to learn and to better understand and, in turn, coach.

Considers what motivates you. What goal are you wanting to achieve?

• Perhaps you want to get the job, or run at a particular pace, or finish a project.

What do you need to do to complete the goal? Notice how you feel as you write the list.

Now consider, what inspires you? What do you want to help others achieve? 

• Perhaps you want to see their smiling faces and the connection by bringing them altogether.
• Perhaps you want to see the shine on their face when they reach their goals.
• Perhaps you want to see the calm and peace in their heart and mind. 

What can you do to help them get to that feeling? What do you need to understand first? How can you create the space for it to happen? How do you feel as you consider these questions?

I suggest that the things that inspire bring forth more powerful feelings than the things that motivate. 

This is how the mind works... it takes external information and uses it to inform how we should feel. Read through the following thought development,

• I am trying to get an arrow onto a target from a specified distance. I miss the target. The thought is. "shoot, that wasn't very good." Pun intended.
• After ten weeks of practice though, I aim for the target at the same distance and I miss, the thought becomes, "I am not very good at this."
• Years of shooting arrows and 10,000 hours of practice and thought becomes, "I can't do it! I am unteachable!"

I went from "the shot wasn't good" to "I can't" and "I am unteachable."
Or, I went from focus on the performance to focus on how the performance defines me. 
Those 10,000 hours of just shooting arrows do not mean a thing if I am not applying deliberate practice. 
Deliberate practice is the craft of looking at how I was positioned making the shot and refining what I need to change or correct to improve the shot. 

How many of us use the principle of deliberate practice in our daily life?

• How frequently do we examine our interacts and see where we could have refined our word choice or our question?
• How frequently do we examine our daily habits and use deliberate practice to examine where we could have interrupted a habit with a more skilled choice?

If you are like most folks, probably not very often. We coast, repeating the patterns of thought we usually have. Doing so means we have the same outcomes. 

​This evening I thought about going to the grocery store, aghhh.. but the drive and the people. I thought about watching Netflix and aghhh, the boredom and snacking. Neither thought made me happy. Then I thought, go to the beach, no phone, no one else, just meander along the beach and see what happens. The result has been the reflections in this post. I hope you find it helpful and if you are unhappy, then deliberately practice disrupting the discouraging and negative thoughts and reframing the thoughts to more gratitude and awe is the path to start traversing.

When I first went into climbing gyms, the routes could meander and cross over each other when lead climbing. Climbers understood the practice of looking where the route would go and making decisions about which quickdraws and when they would clip them. Now gyms set routes in very narrow corridors to avoid cross over, the quickdraws are much closer together to avoid big falls, and the setters often allow for good clipping positions to remove the risk of a fall while clipping. These changes to how we approach climbing in a gym have been developed to prevent incidents. Consider that when I started climbing, I learned outside on traditional style routes. The potential for a serious fall had potentially bigger consequences so I was forced to understand how to prevent those consequences, or suffer life altering consequences. 

I do not think climbing is the only arena in which this is playing out. Folks going to school with an emphasis on consuming information and regurgitating it rather than applying due to the vast amount that is expected to be learned. I am curious where this will lead. Wisdom is often gained through the experience of applying knowledge in a variety of milieus. Relating what seem to be very different ideas to create something new.

Blooms taxonomy is a description of how one can assess the depth of learning. The lowest level of learning is in the realm of recall or remembering something. The middle level of understanding is analyzing something and applying the knowledge to make a judgement. This would be like assessing someone's belay skill and experience with a belay check. The greatest depth of learning is assessed by determining if the person can use the information to create something. If you wanted to assess a person's knowledge of climbing movement skills, you could ask them to set a route. Can they create a series of movements that are possible for a particular audience?

Consider how we take information on the internet or shared in programming as truth without critically thinking about whether it is perhaps not actually true. I hear these "truisms" all the time in climbing.

• You cannot ground fall after the second clip.
• Double wrapped belay bars are safer that single wrap.
  
• The Petzl Gri Gri is safer than a passive belay device.

The real answer is that with each of these truisms, there are circumstances when the statement is not true. But to understand the real truth requires more depth of understanding about lead falls, the forces, and weight differences, anchors, friction, and mechanics. We are moving perilously close to math with these conversations and to have this conversation requires time. Humans do not like uncertainty, preferring absolutes and easy answers. It creates a false sense of certainty and reduces our anxiety. It also absolves us of responsibility. 

In the wee hours of this morning I strained to hear the rain. It has been months of minimal rain and an extreme drought. The leaves rippled on the wind, the moisture could be felt on the breeze, but no sound of rain. The minutes ticked by and I waited, hoping, wanting the rain to fall. Frustration built and agitated my tension, scaring away any inkling of sleep.  

In the Yoga world, this suffering is the result of the kleshas or afflictions. the kleshas consist of five elements; desire for something, resistance to something, sense of "I am", attachment, and fear of death. Resistance to a drought and desire for rain were keeping my mind active in the early morning. 

Interestingly, we do not always notice these how these afflictions are animating in our experience of the world. The goal of Yoga, meditation, breath work, and numerous other mind-body-breath connecting practices is to bring our attention to the animation and then allow us to release the desire for control. 

I found myself wanting different outcomes from conversations I have had in the past few weeks, resisting what someone said, or desiring them to tell me something. Noticing that I am personalizing their thoughts as an attack on my values and thoughts, or my "I amness". Harder to release these perceived attacks because they threaten ones very identity or sense of being respected and valued. 

I think in our current political climate this "I amness" is being challenged continuously. But how does one release ones sense of self and worthiness? Perhaps one doesn't. Perhaps it is about being curious about the value in the other person's perspective. 

Life is so very full of opportunities for self examination. I recently took my ego to archery. After an afternoon of writing about teaching tips, I was very frustrated by the approach this instructor took. The instruction was limited to here's where you stand, here's the signal to shoot. Here's the signal to walk down and look at your shots. Then wait your turn. I was frustrated there wasn't more instruction on how to hold the bow, how to aim. In fact the feedback I received had my shot go wide by two feet. 

I gleefully expostulated to  my neighbour the horrible approach to instruction the next day, firmly establishing the idea that is wasn't my fault I did not do well. It was the poor quality of the instruction. 
But, what if I had been curious? What if I had considered this Trial and Error approach as a positive engagement approach of discovery, making each good shot have more value because it was completely my own accomplishment?

What if I looked for the wins, not just the criticism? Criticism leads to resistance and that roar of the ego about how I am right and the other is wrong. If I had looked for where this approach was right, would I suffer less?

Try it. Notice a situation that frustrates you or causes you to feel small. Or even notice a desire for something that perhaps you know you shouldn't have. The solution is to get curious about what you are experiencing, where you are physically sensing the desire or the suffering. Get curious about which of the afflictions is in play. And then look for the wins, the learning, or the opportunity. 

​Let me know how it goes. 

Humans by nature are designed to survive. One's definition of survival is as unique as each person's human performance. But survival means survival of one's own life, not the life of a stranger. Survival can mean having food and shelter to some and it can mean having more money and a better home and car to another. But the very nature of this attitude of survival is egocentric.  

For folks who feel a sense of personal safety that comes from having the things one needs to survive, meaning shelter, food, water, and a non threatening environment, a person can than think of others. Certainly for me, my son's experience became as important if not more important than my own experience when he was young. I made sacrifices so he could thrive.

The difference between surviving and thriving is this...

• Surviving - overcoming hardship and challenges to exist.
• Thriving - prospering and flourishing

In my lifetime I have managed to live a life which has meant been about thriving. I have always had work or found work when I wanted it. I have always had health. I have always had support from government agencies if needed, and even when I did not. 
My son has always therefore had a life that revolved around thriving, not survival. Most of us living in North America can claim the same... access to health care, access to food, water, and work.

The only global threat to our physical safety came from a virus which led to protections from our government and pharmaceutical companies. We have lived, especially in Canada, in a fairly safe environment. There have been crimes committed by people who perhaps feel desperate and may be motivated by a desire for something they feel they are lacking. But those threats have also not been so wide spread that we need to fear for our lives on a regular basis. Not like people in war torn countries where one's life can change in an instant and those instances are happening with some regularity. 

Because of our comfort, our lives of thriving, it can be very easy to forget how lucky we are. It is easy to forget to be grateful. It is easy to become complacent. In our complacency we can ignore the signs that perhaps we should be paying closer attention to the things that support our ability to thrive. When a person moves from thriving to surviving, the lens of morality can shift. If someone is pointing a gun at you, perhaps your own willingness to mortally wound someone else becomes a viable choice. 

Is it possible in this world we are living in now in North America, that the lens had changed, our sense of personal safety has changed and we are each experiencing more personal threats to our survival? In turn, our own morality is shifting. I have certainly had immoral thoughts in the past year that I am chagrined to admit to.

In turn, is that changing how we treat each other? After all, we all faced Covid. We all faced the real personal threat of a life threatening virus. Millions did not make it. There was a recognition for all of us, whether we lost someone we love or not, that we are not immortal. We will eventually die. Nothing can save us from that outcome. Our ability to thrive was threatened. Many lost income. Many lost jobs. Many lost their home. The national debt has ballooned. Our ability to thrive has been compromised. Are we confusing surviving with thriving? How is that impacting our morality?

I don't have the answer. But I hope you consider my questions. The way we think and feel, even subconsciously, vibrates out into our communities and influences how others think and feel.

Can we all consider gratitude as a practice? Can we all consider having the generosity of spirit and bravery to help someone who is truly threatened?  Can we choose to be like the gentleman I met at the grocery store instead of fearful and egocentric? Can we choose peace even when we feel threatened?

Deep conversation with someone today about what inspires him led me to considering the idea of passion. There are many folks who say they are passionate about climbing or another particular sport, or perhaps it is dance or art. I considered what am I passionate about? The question became even more interesting when I decided to write to sift through my thoughts on passion. 

The latin root of the word passion is pati which means to suffer, or to endure. The willingness to persist despite the suffering is the expression of passion. Passion is also defined as 'an intense emotion compelling action.' If you consider both these ideas as true, passion is not comfortable. It is not necessarily inspiring. It requires endurance of will and determination. It requires suffering.

The real question then is what am I willing to suffer to achieve some outcome. It is an interesting question. I believe there are degrees of passion. At one time I was so passionate about climbing, testing climbers, coaching, I was willing to live in a car and make very little money to climb and be in the company of other great climbers. 

The evidence is available to each person if they take a moment to reflect on where they have been most uncomfortable and yet were willing to be uncomfortable in the pursuit of some goal. Taking a more holistic perspective of one's choices also illustrates which passions required more discomfort and thus had greater rewards. For example, there can be a goal to get on the podium at a particular competition requiring a great deal of training and development, all of which - if done right - is uncomfortable. And there can be simultaneously the goal of academic achievement requiring long study sessions, going to class, and doing the work. Both require time and attention. Both may require discomfort, or suffering to achieve. The one you are willing to endure more for is the one you are more passionate about. 

The passionate life is not an easy life full of joy and bliss. The passionate life is full of purpose and discomfort. Purpose is what gives life meaning. The idea that we can live quietly and contentedly is a challenge. At least in North America we are breed on the idea of productivity.  Academic diligence is born for the end result of a good paying job and solid career. Sports are not for fun, sports are for winning or performance gains. Even the practice of Yoga in North America became about the performance, not the true nature of connecting mind, body, and breath.

When we are successful - when we have endured enough, we will have all we want and then we hope that some part of us will feel fulfilled. But the part will forever be empty if what we pursue is not something that gives us fulfillment or aligns with our values. This is where many make the mistake of enduring for some degree of wealth or recognition that in the end doesn't make one ever feel satisfied. Or working out of alignment with what one values can lead to incongruence in feelings and satisfaction. 

So let this post challenge you...
Where are you willing to endure uncomfortable feelings for some defined outcome?
What gives you a sense of fulfillment?
What do you value?
Consider all three questions because through the search for the answers you might just narrow down what matters most for you to pursue.

The government could supply anyone wanting to go into the woods with training on how to fight fires and the necessary fire fighting equipment to fight a fire in the woods. This engineered control would be an expensive choice and one that requires time and money to implement. 

Administrative controls include rules like, "No smoking in the woods, no campfires, no fireworks." Administrative controls leave the responsibility for compliance on the person being exposed to the risk. Given that folks do tend to eat foods they shouldn't, drink when they shouldn't, choose to not exercise when they should, park in no parking areas, vandalize, and dump garbage where they shouldn't, I do not have a lot of faith in the power of rules and morality.

The last and least effective means of protecting someone is to wear personal protective equipment. The exposure to the hazard is present and you get a heat resistant and burn resistant clothing. 

It is the government's job to establish the controls when all Nova Scotians are facing the same hazards. In 2020 we faced Covid. In 2025 we are facing the extreme risk of forest fire. We saw the devastation of similar fire conditions just a few years ago which resulted in damage to hundreds of homes. We can argue about how we got here with climate change, but that isn't going to remove or treat the current situation NOW.

Freedom is described as the power to act, think, and speak without restraint. One can always think without restraint, but then thoughts do not cause harm to others. With the government's choice to eliminate Nova Scotians from being in the woods, Nova Scotians actions are being constrained, our freedoms are being infringed upon, I agree. However...

Personal freedom must be tempered with responsibility and morality.

Personal responsibility is something very few westerners want to accept. It is easier to blame the education system than to consider what responsibility we take for our education. It is easier to blame health care than to take responsibility for our own preventative health. It is easier to blame our boss than to face the responsibility of looking for a different job.

Perhaps everyone in Nova Scotia should be allowed in the woods, but what responsibilities are Nova Scotians collectively willing to accept for that freedom?

• Everyone must be trained on how to fight a fire and must carry the equipment
• More money in taxes for fire fighting, climate change, and higher insurance costs
• Six figure, seven figure fines for anyone causing a fire
• Insurance companies are not responsible to cover damages that are not acts of God
• Provide shelter to the folks who become homeless during a fire evacuation 
• Folks who are homeless are provided housing by those with homes

I don't know about you, but I would rather refrain from walking in the woods rather than any of those options mentioned above. My paddle board and the beach are looking pretty good today.

I meandered through blueberry fields picking berries last week and listened to a young child say, "I eat the berries here because they are free. You only have to pay for them if you put them in the box." Those blueberries are not free. The producer is charging everyone a little more to cover their losses. Just like insurance companies will charge all of us more if there are fires destroying homes this year. Our actions have consequences far beyond the action.

Our access to the wilderness is a privilege, not a right. What are you willing to pay for it?