Blog

The Lost World

• March 2015
• Hi Steph Simple Living Climb

Hi Steph,
I’m elena. A few months ago I read your book about your climbing experience (or life experience, it’s hard to tell). It had a strong impact on my life. When I was a child, I loved climbing trees. It was a passion, something deep and warm – on trees I felt safe, and the more they were hard (there are also hard trees 🙂 ) the bigger was the challenge. I grew up and became too big for trees. I cried a lot, cause I felt I lost one of the most important things I had. Then many things happened, I became very dry, and I lost the capability to dream. My first aim was to get a job and become independent from my family. I discovered the rock only a few years ago, and in one second I was back to my lost world! But I had to study, I had to find a job, I experienced some bad falls, I had to stop, to fight against new fears, win and fall again. And the hardest thing is that now I spend most of the day in front of the computer, dreaming of climbing, incapable of focusing on my research (I’m a mathematician). Now that I know that you left everything and started doing what you really love, I feel like maybe it’s possible to leave all this behind me, and live in the sky, in the trees. How did you do that? What did you think? which were your fears, if they existed?
I don’t understand why I don’t do this: fear? or maybe in my case it simply doesn’t make any sense? I feel uncomfortable. I’m Italian, many of my friends can’t find a job, the situation looks so serious that many times I feel stupid with this thoughts.
I just climb as much as I can.
elena

Hi Elena,
Thanks for your beautiful letter. It’s hard to know what is the “right” choice in life. Life is not static. Things change, you change, and choices that were right before sometimes change too. Sometimes things circle back, after changing many times. I think if you’re someone who values magic and dreaming, you will know if you need to get more of it in your life. There’s always going to be a balance between chasing our dreams and looking after ourselves in daily life–like that wise saying, “Put your faith in Allah, but always tie down your camel.” It seems to me that you understand all of this. Remember, the magic comes from you!

Think a lot about what matters most to you–when you start to do that, you realize it takes some serious thought. Once you feel sure you understand what matters most, follow it and don’t doubt yourself. Remember that things always change, and this is going to change too, and you will change with it. The things you do and the choices you make are not forever and it’s okay to try things that may evolve into other things. As long as you’re alive, you will change, and as long as you change, you are alive. Don’t be afraid.
🙂 Steph