What Do We Leave Behind?

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what we leave behind. 

Thankfully as of this point in my life, I’ve been lucky enough not to have to deal with death very often. Only in the past year have I begun to process the feelings that come with knowing people of impact have passed away.

A few weeks ago, someone my age named Savannah Buik died in a rock climbing accident. I only knew her briefly, but we had climbed together at ICF and she made an impact on me. I remember her contagious laugh and big smile, yet nonchalant attitude about accomplishing what I would consider a badass lead climb with ease. I was inspired by her. 

I'm sad to hear of Savannah’s passing. She had taken a fall while trad climbing and her last two pieces of protective gear went flying with her.

Something they say in the climbing community is "if you're not flying you're not trying." One thing I know for sure, is that she was so strong. You have to be strong to mentally accept the risks that could lead to a potential fall. She accepted that risk, because she knew how good it felt to overcome a personal challenge, and she was strong enough to do it again. 

Photo of badass women climbers at International Climbers Festival 2017 by Alex Aresti

The sad but true reality is that climbing accidents happen all the time. I remember when I first started climbing and went on a road trip to visit Zion National Park. As we hiked up Angles landing looking over the vast landscape, my friend told me about an accquaintence who was an accomplished rock climber that died in Zion after rappelling off the end of his rope. 

Its scary, but comforting to know you have the most control over your experience. You choose to double check tying that knot, or to get complacent. You choose partners you trust. Most importantly, you choose the risks you accept.

Through rock climbing, I’ve grown so much in all aspects of my life. I’ve become addicted to the sport largely due to the mental aspect of how elated I feel after accepting a risk and succeeding on something I once deemed impossible for myself. When accidents like this happen, it’s a cold wake up call to remember how fragile we are when we feel on top of the world.

I’ve been thinking about what we leave behind because I’ve just been wanting to grasp onto something of Savannah to remember her. I looked at her Instagram and watched a video of her singing. It made me happy and sad all at the same time. It made me want to be more intentional about what I am leaving behind. From social media, to the things I own, and the way I might impact people… 

It's still so hard to believe this person my age, doing something I love, is no longer with us... but it's humbling and a wake up call never to forget how serious this fun sport is. Be thankful for the opportunity to live life to the fullest, and do it without forgetting how fragile we are.

You can read Savannah's blog here, or the write up about her and opportunity to donate to the AAC in her honor by Chelsea Rude here. 

Winter Solstice Darkness to Light

Today is the winter solstice and also the darkest day of the year. It's when the sun in our sky reaches its farthest southward point in the 365 day cycle. At this solstice, the Northern Hemisphere has its shortest day and longest night of 2017. 

Several cultures and religions practice celebrations in honor of the solstice. While my culture and religion do not partake in such rituals, I still used this day as an opportunity to reflect. 

Our sky was getting progressively darker and our nights longer each day. Today marks the shift towards light, and we can use it as a metaphor in our own lives. 

Let today be the day you start to look at things in a new light. Look at people and situations in your life in a new way. Be hopeful for the light that will shine into your life in the future. Consider and experience everything in your day to day with just a little more intention. 

In my yoga class this evening, I  tried to focus on feeling the poses and stretches of my body differently than I have before. I realized that when I’m doing a stretch that feels uncomfortable at first, my body sends an alerting signal to my nervous system. 

It’s how you react to the discomfort that determines if your experience will be pain or growth. 

If you respond to the discomfort with a fight back, tense up your muscles, or hold your breath, then it will start to feel like pain until you get out of that position. However, if you respond to the discomfort by acknowledging it, not fighting it away, and breathing, the discomfort will just fade away and never turn into pain, but growth. 

This was the new light in which I thought about what my body was feeling in yoga, and I think it should be a direct metaphor for how we look at our lives. When you are experience pain in your life, don’t tense up and try to fight it. Acknowledge that it happened and allow it to fade away. 

Let today be the day you look forward in a new light. 

Happy Winter Solstice.