What does it mean for you to know your craft in every fiber of your being?
Recently I watched the National Geographic documentary, Free Solo, which won the Academy Award this year for Best Documentary. It was one of the most nerve-wracking movies I have ever watched.
Spoiler alert: Alex Honnold is the first successful rock climber to free solo El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. There was no rope, harness, or any safety device during his ascent, and he accomplished this 3,000-foot rock wall of a mountain in under four hours.
Throughout the movie I was holding my breath a few times. It was an amazing feat to watch. There were two sections of the climb where my hands and palms were sweating. Even the camera crew were concerned he would not make it through these sections. This guy is a phenomenal climber. He looked like a real-life Spiderman while climbing this sheer rock wall.
Arduous Readiness
For me, the most significant part of the documentary was his method of training before the climb. His preparation was meticulous. Honnold practiced and rehearsed every pitch, so much so, that he memorized his every move. He knew the route of his climb in his legs and arms, throughout his entire body. Honnold climbed it as if his life depended on it, which it did. The margin of error in this sport of rock climbing is extremely small. It is a matter of life or death.
I also noticed that he climbed with a sense of joy and fun. The smile on his face seemed wider than the span of his arms when he conquered two of the most dangerous pitches on the face of the rock wall. The joy in the climb seemed to match his elation at the top.
Relentless Dedication
I appreciate his pedantic commitment to every element of his sport, from the equipment and his support system to both the physical conditioning and mental strength. The whole of his being needed to stay sharp and focused to be successful in a climb of this magnitude.
Know Your Craft
My one takeaway from this documentary is the value of knowing your craft. When you know you core skill, that which you are meant to do, then your level of personal growth can improve exponentially. When you know your personal mission by heart and live it throughout every fiber of your being, you set yourself up for new levels of success.
Bottom line: know who you are. Know your craft in every fiber of your being – physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. Understand the edge of both your strengths and your limits. Thrive and excel within those boundaries.
Know what you are meant to do and live it.
Your thoughts?
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