I have always loved the climbing statement, “If the mind is willing the flesh will follow.” But to me this statement only provides half of the overall wisdom needed to be mentally solid in climbing accomplishment. What is missing is keeping Adventure as the foundation instead of Discipline. With rock climbing there is always a higher level that can be reached. Once you become a 5.10 climber then there is 5.11 to achieve, then 5.12 and so on and so on. Climbers, especially indoor rock gym climbers, somewhat push the fun of climbing to the side as they begin to chase a higher and higher difficulty number. Once a climber somewhat plateaus at a climbing level, frustration seems to fill the climbers psyche. Now more and more training is needed requiring greater discipline within the climber. Overall, discipline can be addicting, but at times discipline takes away from the climbers world of simply having fun within the risk climbing provides. Fun and excitement is a feeling every climber experiences when they first discover climbing. Once the discipline takes over, the ego seems to also take over and a audience now feels necessary for the individuals personal climbing accomplishment. Additional pressure now weighs a climber down, while other climbers that are having fun on a route, seem to climb the routes with ease. The key lesson here is to keep Adventure as the foundation, while enjoying the disciplines climbing provides.
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MK Productions sponsors two climbers, Cody Abernathy and Scott Stuk. Both climbers are incredibly strong and are very well balanced in life. But what is interesting is that both climbers fell into the Adventure / Discipline trap.
My friend Cody is a really strong climber and already has achieved great accomplishments. The Desert Classic super competition at Focus climbing center was coming up soon. In the past Cody had won first place overall being the strongest climber out of everybody. But now Cody has not climbed for many months and was not really interested in being in the competition, because he felt he didn’t have the strength to perform as others would be expecting him to perform. I asked him a few times to just be in the comp to have fun, over having to suddenly go crazy working out for a few months to get his strength back. It was now three weeks before the competition and still Cody was refusing to be in the comp, so I sent him my Adventure over Discipline drawing. He looked at the lesson drawing a few times then made the drawing his screen saver on his phone. He surprised me
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with a text saying that he was amazed that he got trapped in this discipline thing, and it actually was keeping him away from even climbing. He decided to enter the competition where I told him, don’t worry because I already signed him up over a month ago and paid for his entry. Ryan at Crafted foods then shared Cody’s entry cost and Cody was in for free, sponsored to just go and have a fun climbing day. Without any comp pre-training, Cody placed 4th as overall strongest climber, and was just climbing for fun! Cody now applies this Adventure foundation lesson to everything he does in life. It is interesting how even if Cody did not compete but at least showed up to the competition to cheer other climbers on, Cody would be adding to the overall energy of the competition. Great job Cody!!!
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My friend Scott is a super strong climber who has already achieved great accomplishments. But when Scott reaches certain plateaus which hold his climbing at a stand still, his strength seems to reverse as his mind feels under attack. Scott feels like he is pressured to perform in a certain way, over just enjoying the route/challenge presented. On this day Scott visited a climbing area called the Peaks, which is up in Flagstaff Arizona. Here are a few texts we shared of his climbing ….. adventure (?).
MK - I bet the Peaks was nice. So hot here in Phoenix.
Scott - Clouds most of the day. Some thunder, about 75/80 degrees absolutely beautiful.
Scott - I really struggled with my mental game yesterday, I felt extremely anxious again similar to what I felt before. I have a high level of expectation and fear of failure especially when surrounded by people I don’t really know. It was busy at the crag. I’m finding myself overcome with the same anxiousness yet excitement even while trying to sleep.
MK - Understand that us humans feel solid but actually are energy. This Covid thing has many people worried world wide. This worry goes into the energy and it actually shares between people. There are many scientific studies that prove this true. If your whole neighborhood is in worry even though you have millions of dollars and have life made, you will actually suffer from a unknown worry. And the more stressed you become from this worry the sicker your body will actually become. Spend some time daily to just sit in silence with your eyes closed and just relax. Concentrate on your breathing. Just 15 minutes a day will make you sleep better and you will reconnect with yourself, over being connected with everybody else’s energy. ““Connect to Scotts spiritual wifi instead of relying on others spiritual wifi.””
Scott - Thank you, I just had a long conversation with my wife about that, we are going to do a little yoga and meditation tonight. Climbing is such a mental and physical battle, I appreciate your perspective and need to find time to relax my mind.
MK - Now let’s look at your climbing. If you climb for yourself you will be focused and when others cheer you on you gain energy. But if you doubt yourself you look to others for the cheering energy and it takes away your energy. You are a great climber, but be the climber who is continually looking to better himself through a loving process over getting trapped within personal ego which creates limitations. Keep foundation as Adventure not Discipline.
MK - OK lets take a look at ego! Ego is a fictitious tool that the body has. Ego is not a bad thing but at times the master must recognize when to tame its inner ego. If the body did not have pain receptors how would we know that a flame will burn our skin and bring us damage. Ego is a similar body tool. However ego likes to advertise itself because it has a creative way of need to show others “I am better.” "And if I can show I am better it personally gives me back some kind of truth that I am really great!" Overall if you believe in yourself there is no need to seek this offset truth. I always ask the question: “When you discover a new boulder problem and climb it while being completely alone it is a great accomplishment yes! But at that alone time is ego even present?” Ego appears to be a necessary tool that the body has, but overall understand ego is actually a fictitious character that surfaces at a time that self doubts within feel a need to be hidden or derailed. Be in control of your ego - over - your ego being in control of you!
Scott - “Thumbs up symbol”
Scott - Looking forward to talking more wisdom.
Great job Scott!!!
MK - I bet the Peaks was nice. So hot here in Phoenix.
Scott - Clouds most of the day. Some thunder, about 75/80 degrees absolutely beautiful.
Scott - I really struggled with my mental game yesterday, I felt extremely anxious again similar to what I felt before. I have a high level of expectation and fear of failure especially when surrounded by people I don’t really know. It was busy at the crag. I’m finding myself overcome with the same anxiousness yet excitement even while trying to sleep.
MK - Understand that us humans feel solid but actually are energy. This Covid thing has many people worried world wide. This worry goes into the energy and it actually shares between people. There are many scientific studies that prove this true. If your whole neighborhood is in worry even though you have millions of dollars and have life made, you will actually suffer from a unknown worry. And the more stressed you become from this worry the sicker your body will actually become. Spend some time daily to just sit in silence with your eyes closed and just relax. Concentrate on your breathing. Just 15 minutes a day will make you sleep better and you will reconnect with yourself, over being connected with everybody else’s energy. ““Connect to Scotts spiritual wifi instead of relying on others spiritual wifi.””
Scott - Thank you, I just had a long conversation with my wife about that, we are going to do a little yoga and meditation tonight. Climbing is such a mental and physical battle, I appreciate your perspective and need to find time to relax my mind.
MK - Now let’s look at your climbing. If you climb for yourself you will be focused and when others cheer you on you gain energy. But if you doubt yourself you look to others for the cheering energy and it takes away your energy. You are a great climber, but be the climber who is continually looking to better himself through a loving process over getting trapped within personal ego which creates limitations. Keep foundation as Adventure not Discipline.
MK - OK lets take a look at ego! Ego is a fictitious tool that the body has. Ego is not a bad thing but at times the master must recognize when to tame its inner ego. If the body did not have pain receptors how would we know that a flame will burn our skin and bring us damage. Ego is a similar body tool. However ego likes to advertise itself because it has a creative way of need to show others “I am better.” "And if I can show I am better it personally gives me back some kind of truth that I am really great!" Overall if you believe in yourself there is no need to seek this offset truth. I always ask the question: “When you discover a new boulder problem and climb it while being completely alone it is a great accomplishment yes! But at that alone time is ego even present?” Ego appears to be a necessary tool that the body has, but overall understand ego is actually a fictitious character that surfaces at a time that self doubts within feel a need to be hidden or derailed. Be in control of your ego - over - your ego being in control of you!
Scott - “Thumbs up symbol”
Scott - Looking forward to talking more wisdom.
Great job Scott!!!
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It is great to go out climbing with friends. But look within yourself to see the personal intention that you are seeking from your climbing experience. Others can add to the energy by cheering you on during the climb and as you reach the top. But overall you reached the top since you were looking within yourself and you continued on knowing that you have the want and ability to succeed. Even if you fell during the ascent, you are still succeeding as you build even greater strength and confidence within yourself.
Super human climbers like Adam Ondra and Chris Sharma are very centered on their intense training programs. But as I watch their amazing climbing ascents on videos, I see they do not place doubt anywhere in their performance. They try over and over since they really enjoy the extreme adventure the climb provides. They are not climbing for the group or the media, they are climbing for themselves. My most favorite extreme climber that continually enjoys the Adventure, is Tommy Caldwell.
Super human climbers like Adam Ondra and Chris Sharma are very centered on their intense training programs. But as I watch their amazing climbing ascents on videos, I see they do not place doubt anywhere in their performance. They try over and over since they really enjoy the extreme adventure the climb provides. They are not climbing for the group or the media, they are climbing for themselves. My most favorite extreme climber that continually enjoys the Adventure, is Tommy Caldwell.