The Precipice of Life

What Are You Resisting?

mgoodkin9 — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 23:33:33 +0000

What Are You Resisting?

Truly happy people seem to have an intuitive grasp of the fact that sustained happiness is not just about doing things that you like. It also requires growth and adventuring beyond the boundaries of your comfort zone.

There are times, no matter how curious we are about an adventure, a relationship, a new food, or a business venture, that we find ourselves holding back. Our comfort zone is so alluring. It’s often perceived as safe. And yet, that safety is often an illusion. We believe it’s best to stick with what is known rather than step out into the unknown. Sometimes that’s fine, especially if we’re guilty of running after the next shiny object.

I find, however, that when curiosity about a specific opportunity sticks with me, I’m meant to lean into it and see where it leads. It doesn’t require an all-out commitment at first, but it does require exploration, of taking the next step in uncovering what is calling to me.

That often requires looking at any resistance I might have to step outside of my comfort zone. Many times, this is experienced as fear.

Steven Pressfield, the author of The War of Art, says, “Resistance is experienced as fear; the degree of fear equates to the strength of Resistance. Therefore, the more we fear we feel about a specific enterprise, the more certain we can be that that enterprise is important to us and to the growth of our soul.”

And when we’re growing, we’re usually happier.

“Truly happy people seem to have an intuitive grasp of the fact that sustained happiness is not just about doing things that you like. It also requires growth and adventuring beyond the boundaries of your comfort zone. Happy people are, simply put, curious,” says Robert Biswas-Diener and Todd B. Kashdan in the Psychology Today article “What Happy People Do Differently.”

Yet, modern life keeps us safe and insulated from a desire to take risks. We’ve grown accustomed to our connectivity and our routines. The noise of our lives drowns out that desire to be curious and explore.

Laurie Seymour, the founder of The Baca Institute, who works with entrepreneurs and thought leaders to help them achieve higher levels of personal and professional success, says that once the call has been acknowledged, it can become quite painful not to take a step toward heeding it.

“If we’re really meant to do something, that call keeps coming stronger and stronger and stronger,” she explains. “Our will can be strong, and we can deny it. Life will go in another direction. However, my experience with that is we always have a feeling of missing something. We missed our timing.”

Laurie views committing to a calling as the first step of a dance. Dancing requires that we listen to the tune of the music and move accordingly, and to do that, we need to be flexible.

So, when looking at your health, your business, and your relationships:

Where might you be playing it safe?
Where are you allowing fear to keep you from “adventuring beyond the boundaries of your comfort zone?”
How is resistance ruling your life?

Here’s what I know: I’m more alive, fulfilled, and happy when I’ve taken risks and explored different reaches of the earth and depths of myself. And I know, I’m not alone.

What Are You Curious About?

mgoodkin9 — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 23:25:37 +0000

What Are You Curious About?

The call of the mountains began as a whisper, luring me higher and higher into a journey that I had no clue I’d be taking when I first began climbing Longs Peak in Colorado during college. That whisper became louder when I decided to climb Kilimanjaro when the two men I’d met on that mountain informed me of the challenge of conquering the Seven Summits, of which Kilimanjaro was one.

I knew I had no choice but to make a commitment. And I did. I was in––all in.

But before I made the commitment, I had to be curious––not only about the mountains that were calling me but about the inner drive––my why.

What was behind my motivation to explore?

In his book, The Art of Impossible, Steven Kotler reported that his research identified five major intrinsic motivators––curiosity, passion, purpose, meaning, and autonomy.

“Curiosity is your basic interest in something, and you get focused for free. That’s the big deal. We don’t have to work to pay attention. It happens automatically. Curiosity is designed in our biology to be built into a passion in a very specific way,” he explains.

“Passion is an internal fuel that’s coupled to a problem greater than ourselves,” he adds. “Once you have purpose, the system demands autonomy, the freedom to pursue your purpose.

Richard Wiese, host of Born to Explore and who in 2002 became the youngest president of The Explorers Club, says anyone with a goal and a dream is sparked by that desire to know more. “If you look at the history of humankind, there was always that one person, whether they came out of a tree or out of a cave, who was curious about what was on the other side of that mountain or valley on the bottom of a lake,” he shares.

In his career as a television journalist and independent documentary filmmaker, Wiese has encountered many explorers––men and women––who like being out in the field and enjoying new experiences. “It’s not having a death wish; it’s quite the contrary. It’s wanting to live as full a life as possible.”

Curiosity allows us to rise above our daily responsibilities, which often lull us into complacency and keep us from growing.

Alison Levine, a mountaineer and leadership consultant, says, “I enjoy the whole experience of pushing myself. Every day presents such a different type of challenge. I enjoy the unknown. The unknown makes life more exciting.”

And I heartily agree. That curiosity about who I might become is woven throughout my life, not only as a mountaineer but as a businessman as well. I’ve come to see this as living on the precipice of growth––of stepping into the unknown––and that’s a place of creativity, innovation, and connection not only with myself but those individuals around me, as well as nature.

So how might you nurture your curiosity?

Here are three tips that might assist you:

Change your routines. If you walk in your neighborhood, vary your route––or drive to a different neighborhood or park. Focus on your new environments and notice the differences not only in your surroundings but how you feel.
Strike up conversations with someone you meet at the airport, grocery store, or gym. People are interesting! When we break away from our technology and allow ourselves to connect with those around us, we might find a new book to read, a place to visit, or a meal to enjoy.
Explore a new adventure. Recently, a friend of mine was vacationing in Maui and on a morning walk, she saw a group of people going out on an outrigger. Two days later, she and her partner were surrounded by a blanket of peace while paddling out in the ocean with sea turtles and whales nearby. Next time, they’ll go for a longer excursion.

And in closing, take a few moments to journal what is calling you. What have you been wondering about for some time? And what action can you take to lean into that curiosity?

Welcome to The Precipice of Life!

mgoodkin9 — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 16:16:32 +0000

Welcome to The Precipice of Life!

Commitment, perseverance, humility, flexibility, a positive mindset, and so much more are characteristics we need to possess, whether our challenge is in the boardroom or in the dining room of our family home.

It wasn’t too long after I climbed a few mountains that I realized the knowledge I acquired on the mountains could be applied to every aspect of my life––as a son, a husband, a father, and a businessman.

Here, I’ll be sharing many of the lessons I’ve earned on my journeys around the world, climbing the Seven Summits and the discoveries I’ve made in business and my relationships.

Occasionally, I’ll share an excerpt from many of the interviews I conducted during the writing of The Precipice of Life.

My hope is to inspire and support you on your journeys––whether they be in nature, in a relationship, or in business.

Bo Parfet