Darrell: True Inspiration

Darrell and me on Mt. Thom, Chilliwack, BC, Canada 

This morning I was starting out on my hike, a frequent trip for me, the local walk-up called Mount Thom.  I noticed immediately someone who started out below me, maybe a couple of hundred metres behind.  I could tell by his pace that this man was no slouch. He was moving!

Now, I'm not young, and I'm not slow either.  I'm at peace with my pace and I have nothing to prove.  I continued on the ~ 3 km ascent, and from time to time, would sneak a peek backwards just to keep tabs on my "competition."  Well, lo and behold if on a down-and-up roll in the trail, this fella didn't pass me!  We exchanged greetings and huffed and puffed our way forward.

I noticed his love handles, that, given his pace, told me there was more to the story.  "How long have you been on your regime?" I asked. 

"About a year."

Not one to be shy about going deep, I explored, "Can I ask you how much weight you've lost?"

"A hundred pounds."

Wow.  I am more inspired by the heavy person who is taking positive action to lose weight than the slick, fit, genetically thin buffcake who can't take his eyes off himself in the fitness centre mirror.

I asked Darrell what was his turning point: what was the moment when he knew something had to change?

It was the data.  The reality check.  Darrell's doctor shared with him lab results of blood work.  That was enough.  That, and being in his forties and having a family.  On his first hike up Thom, which took him an hour and a half, his marathon-running daughter came along for support. And he's never looked back.  Now he says he does it in about an hour.  I think he's even faster.

​“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.” 

~ Joseph Campbell

My life is dedicated to helping people discover that there's more within than they think, to believe they can be more, and to go get it.  Sometimes I have the hardest time applying to myself the inspiration I give to others, like Darrell, and to look at my situation objectively, accept reality, and DO something about it.  Physician, heal thyself.

We can change our weight.  We can bounce back. We can grow.  We can re-wire our brains.  Google search neuroplasticity.  Maybe we'll unpack that in this space.

Is there a hard truth you've been avoiding?  Denying?  Is it time for that compassionate reality check, to look at your situation objectively, to accept reality, and DO something about it?  This, in fact, is the key to your next phase of growth.

In the meantime, Darrell's no different than any of us.  We can all change and grow. Thank you Darrell for reminding us.

See the way forward.

Adam Laurie/Rescue Canada photo and video.

I pull out in a snowstorm on my way to work, onto a easy section of straight road in my Tacoma pickup, and suddenly fishtail.  Automatically, I focus on the straight road in front of me, the way forward, where I want to go.  Foot off the gas before I even think about it, and back on track I am.

Last spring, I get my BC Class 1 driver's license. It's the British Columbia equivalent of the CDL: commercial driver's license, qualifying the driver to drive 18-wheelers, the big semi-trucks you see on the highway. That training, with the driver commanding such a large, heavy vehicle, underscores the consequences of an out-of-control rig.  When you start to slide, if you focus on what you're afraid of hitting, you'll hit it every time.  Focus on where you want the truck to go, and you have a chance.

It's the same in swiftwater.  Strainers are partially submerged objects, usually trees, but they can be mattress springs, fishing line, you name it.  If you're canoeing, or rafting, or swimming in swiftwater there are going to be hazards.

Sometimes you can't avoid them, as above, and you have to take them on.  That's dangerous.  The video above occurred in a controlled setting for training purposes.  It's best  -- and it will likely save your life -- to avoid them.

Focus on the hazard and you will hit the hazard.  Focus on a safe way through and you maximize your chances for safe travel and even a fun ride.

It's the same with life.  Life has risks.  There are challenges.  Maybe they "just happened," and maybe you know exactly what you did to get there.  There are hazards.  There are hazards downstream, things coming up that can derail you.  There are hazards upstream: events from your past that may come back and bite you.  There are slippery sections of road.  There are risks and there are "what ifs."

What are you going to focus on?  Focus on the problems and the problems will be right there in front of you, looming larger when, before you know it, you're overwhelmed.

What are you going to focus on?  How will you mitigate, or reduce, the potential of hazards to derail your journey?

Focus on the way forward and you have a chance.  It's your only chance.  And hey, you might even have fun.