Skiing Out Of Bed
I started skiing late in life.
And, I was a terrible skier for many, many years.
One of the things I really enjoyed about skiing was the FEAR. It made me feel so alive, so uncomfortable, so much like a child.
Skiing used to be one of the things that truly made me feel like a kid again.
Traversing across a mountain top where it was so steep that the thought of turning your skis down the mountain felt like a suicide attempt.
And, I would be scared, but I would force myself to turn my skis down the mountain into what felt like a free fall, and I would fall, and occasionally it would hurt, and I would be proud when I made it down to the bottom of the mountain alive.
It was something I was determined to be good at… or probably more appropriately something I was UNWILLING TO QUIT. And, it was exhilarating.
There was a moment when the SKILL (or the confidence or the conviction) BECAME GREATER THAN THE FEAR. This happened only a few years ago, and it changed everything. All of a sudden, it became thrilling and enjoyable and exhilarating…
Today, and many days recently, waking up in bed feels a lot like standing at the top of a very steep mountain afraid to tumble.
I stall.
I don’t want to swing my legs around and point down the mountain.
The fear is still there, and it feels even bigger than the skill.
While I can’t get into too many specifics of our short term business exhilaration, suffice it to say it is everyday business stuff… personnel changes, expense adjustments, forecasting, managing through the issues that we manage through to maintain a healthy business.
It’s just like skiing.
To those who have skied since they were children (or for some long time) the top of the mountain is the best part. There is typically no fear, just skill and enjoyment.
There may be times that scare even the most seasoned skier, but they are more rare.
I know that I may fall on this run.
I know that it won’t kill me.
I know that every time, every day, I turn my skis down the mountain I get better and stronger.
I know that eventually, whether or not I fall, the turns become easier and I can look up more peacefully at the sky.
I know that this is the hardest part of the run…
The burst of speed…
The sense of free fall…
The question in your head “will I be able to make the first turn?”
It’s the rational side of me that sits on my shoulder that screams out loud, “COME ON YOU WIMP… TURN YOUR SKIS AND SHOW THEM WHAT YOU ARE MADE OF… YOU’VE DONE THIS BEFORE… YOU ALWAYS MAKE IT WORK! YOU LOVE THIS SPORT!”
And, the emotional side of me that sits no my other shoulder, “HMMM, I DON’T KNOW BIG MAN, THIS ONE LOOKS REALLY STEEP. DO WE REALLY HAVE TO GO DOWN RIGHT HERE? WHAT IF WE KEEP TRAVERSING AND SEE IF THE MOUNTAIN GETS ANY BETTER? HOW BAD WOULD IT LOOK IF WE TURNED BACK?” ;-)
All systems are go.
Our strategy is solid and working.
And, it’s a steep start…
I’ve been here so many times before.
Just yesterday morning as a matter of fact ;-)
The amusing part is that I PUT MYSELF HERE! I keep taking the lift to the top of the mountain. I keep crossing the barrier that says "EXPERT SKIERS ONLY - DANGEROUS TERRAIN - AVALANCHES POSSIBLE."
I keep seeing those signs, and I charge ahead, fearful but unwavering.
Most people don't find themselves traversing the top of the slopes... (and there are many that seek and find and traverse MUCH more dangerous terrain).
I PUT MYSELF HERE - because I really want to be here! That thought makes me smile because its so true.
Some people look up and comment on the skiers that go up into these parts of the mountain. I look up, sense the fear, and then I GO!
I need to come to terms once and for all with my willingness to traverse the mountain to ski the steep slopes and then my own hesitation...
Turn your skis DOWN that mountain and get out of bed… take on the day, the issue, the opportunity…
There will be a moment in the not too distant future, where the SKILL will be GREATER than the FEAR.
There will be a moment in the not too distant future, where the CERTAINTY of my success will be so much stronger than the DOUBT… Or, maybe I'll just keep doing it 'cause I suck at quitting ;-)
There will be a moment when you will smile remembering this moment… and, you will think to yourself, I can’t believe I hesitated…
And, others whom you respect, will see you, will be inspired by you, and will tell you the courage they see in you, and just how good a skier you really are... and you won't believe them... but you will be proud you did it!
Turn your skis…
Feel the speed…
Have a great day!
It’s called LIVING!
Yours in accelerating harmony,
Nestor