Episode 25 - Lessons from the Climb
Episode 25 - Lessons from the Climb
Welcome to the Seasons of Joy Podcast. This is episode 25! Can you believe it!! (Cheer)
I am doing a giveaway in celebration of my 25th episode so listen close. You won’t want to miss out on this!!! For today only, I am going to give 50% off of the cost of the An Awakening Retreat that is going to be held on October 6-8 in Garden City, Utah.
I have rented a beautiful venue for this intimate retreat. I am limiting this experience to 15 women. We are going to refocus, reconnect, and rejuvenate so that when you leave you will have tips and tools to help you create more joyful connections in your life.
Here is what you need to do in order to enter this giveaway. Go to the Seasons of Joy Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and leave a rating AND a review. Then go to my Instagram or Facebook page post that features this episode - Episode 25 - and tag 3 friends! That’s it!!!
I love retreats and I am so excited for this and I would love to have you join me!
Now for the episode - Remember to Look Up.
This past week I had an amazing experience with some of my family members. We had the opportunity to hike the Grand Teton in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. This mountain peak is just under 14,000 feet elevation. This is something that has been on my husband’s bucket list and we aren’t getting any younger so we decided that this was the year. Three of our children were able to join which was an added bonus.
I love hiking and getting out in nature. It is one of my happy places. I feel connected to myself, others and especially God when I am outside. I am grounded there. I am present there.
Well, my husband arranged for us to have guides that would take us on this adventure. We went through Exum Mountain Guides and I can’t say enough about how awesome they were. Max and Izzy were our guides and they were so incredible and helped us to have an unforgettable experience.
This was probably one of the hardest things I have ever done but also one of the most amazing things I have ever done.
We spent 2 days of instruction which included bouldering, multi-pitch climbing techniques, rappelling, knots, rope management, and belaying. We learned how to work as a team. Then we spent 2 days doing the actual climb - the ascent and summit of the Grand Teton.
As I have reflected on this experience many life lessons stood out to me and I want to share 5 of those with you today.
Remember to look up. I have a dear friend that I often go on walks and hikes with. Almost every time she will say at least once, “Hey, look up.” Because of some past experiences, I am usually so focused on the ground so I don’t trip or twist my ankle. But I just love this little reminder. I am never disappointed. The view is always incredible. So while on our family’s adventure hiking the Grand. My husband said to me the same thing. “Hey, Jill, look up.” Again, I was not disappointed. The beauty and grandeur was breathtaking. This is such a great reminder for life. Sometimes we can get so focused on our struggles and challenges that we forget to look up. We miss the beauty of the moment. Remember to look up and look for the beauty of the moment, the hour, the day. Remember to look up to God and see His hand in your life. As you do so, you will feel gratitude and strength through Him. Carl B. Cook said it like this, As we “look up and step up, we will cheer up, for God wants us to be happy.” So remember to look up.
Trust the shoes. I learned the importance of the right kind of shoe. Over the summer, I have been trying to find the right hiking shoes. It has been a challenge. I actually bought 3 different pairs of shoes. The first two did not work well with my feet and caused me to get tendonitis. Finally, I thought the third pair was the charm. They were comfortable and sturdy so I thought I had succeeded. However, when climbing on boulders and rocks you need a special shoe. An approach shoe. It has a sticky sole and toe. As you climb and put pressure on the shoe you actually do stick to the rock. I ended up renting a pair of approach shoes from the guiding company so that I was better able to do the climbing. Best decision. The right pair of shoes make all the difference. The first training day we spent time learning the basics of bouldering and climbing. How to place our feet deliberately and with pressure so as to prevent slipping. At one point, I was roped up and the guidle was belaying me which basically means he was holding the rope in a way that if i was to slip I wouldn’t fall. The rope would catch me. I was struggling with placing my feet and was pretty anxious about falling even thought I was roped up. I remember the guide saying to me, “Jill, you have got to trust your shoes. Don’t focus so much on your hands as your feet.” Everytime I would worry about where to grab with hands my feet would slip because I wasn’t putting the correct amount of pressure on my feet. Then I would slip and bang my shins or knees against the rock. As I became more comfortable, I began to trust my shoes. I would deliberately place my foot with pressure. This applies to life. We worry about what hasn’t happened yet. We worry about how things will work out. But instead we need to focus on the next right step. Focus on being intentional and deliberate. Having self-confidence in our abilities and believing that we can do hard things. Believing and trusting ourselves - trusting our shoes.
Slow down, it’s not a race. The actual hike of the Grand Teton took us two days. The first day we hiked to the saddle which is a lower ridge just below the peak. It was 7 miles with 5,000 feet of elevation gain. As we began our hike, our guides told us that it would not do us any good to bust it up the mountain. We were encouraged to keep a slow but steady pace so that we would have enough energy for the following day’s summit. Just put one foot in front of the other and put in consistent effort to reach the goal. Consistent forward movement will get us where we want to go. Sometimes we get frustrated by where we are in our journey towards our becoming. We believe it needs to happen faster than it is. But the truth is, it isn’t a race. It is a journey and we might as well enjoy it instead of wearing ourselves out. Running faster than we are able actually slows our progress down. Fast is slow and slow is fast. Enjoy the journey.
Listen to your guides. As I said before, our guides were incredible. They knew their stuff - the trail, the skills required, and how to keep us safe. They have climbed mountains for over 30 years combined. They knew where to go even when the trail seemed non-existent. We relied on their experience and knowledge. In moments I was unsure in my ability they would guide my next step. In life, we are all surrounded by people who have knowledge and skills that will benefit us if we listen to them. They have been where we are trying to go. Guides can be friends, family, co-workers, teachers, church leaders, or the Holy Ghost. The key is to watch, listen and learn from those that will help you get where you want to go.
Trust the rope. There were many times during our climb we were either roped together or roped to the mountain because of the potential of falling. Our guides showed us how to clip into our carabiners, belay each other, and tie knots. The ropes were in place to keep us safe. As we would climb and we were being belayed by another person above us, we always wanted tension in the rope. This tension would keep us close to the rock wall as well give a little pull of momentum. Whenever we slipped or missed a foot hold the rope would be there to catch us and keep us from falling. In the beginning, my brain didn’t understand that I wouldn’t actually fall when I slipped. I would begin to panic as I searched for a hand hold or a foot hold. In my panic I couldn’t think clearly and I would begin to feel like I just couldn’t do it. I would question my ability and I would just be stuck there not moving. I may or may not have had a little melt down or two. At one point, one of the guides reminded me of the purpose of the rope. I would not fall. It was there to catch me. I actually need to rely and lean back into the rope. This would give me the support I needed to climb. Once my brain understood this the rope not only prevented me from falling, it assisted me in the climb so I could make progress. For me, this rope reminds me of my Savior. He is the rope in my life. His purpose is to catch us when we fall. We are going to slip and stumble and He is there to keep us safe. We can rely on Him. Not only that but He can assist us in our climb. His grace not only saves but enables us to continue on our climb to become as He is. We need to trust our rope. We just need to trust Him.
Well, those are 5 lessons I learned this past week. Remember to look up, trust your shoes, slow down, listen to your guides, and trust the rope on your life climb.
Thank you for listening.
Remember, to enter the An Awakening Giveaway by going to the Seasons of Joy Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and leave a rating AND a review. Then go to my Instagram or Facebook page post that features this episode - Episode 25 - and tag 3 friends! That’s it!!!
Mentioned in the Podcast: Exum Mountain Guides https://exumguides.com/programs/
Giveaway details found on my instagram and facebook pages which are found at the link below.
Click on the link below to learn more about Seasons Coaching, Seasons of Joy Community Facebook Group as well as the An Awakening Retreat coming up in October.
