Courage

YOSEMITE, CALIFORNIA - My friend and co-worker Brett climbs rocks. Not for a living, but for "fun". He and I must own different copies of the dictionary, because that's not my entry under "fun". He told me once about people who sleep in tents hanging from the sides of mountains. Again, "fun".

Several years ago, Brett and I were working on a project and I asked him how on earth he can do that. How he can look right at a steep climb and find the courage to scale it. He said, simply; "I just start climbing. I stop when I get to the top." (He's one of those cool yet totally understated kind of guys.)

It fits though. To so many situations in our lives, if we knew what we were up against and how tough it would be, we might not ever start. I've spoken with hundreds of cancer patients and their families about the journey they face. They are all afraid, all intimidated by the challenge ahead. The same thing applies to any hardship you might face, but it's simple and it's true. And I repeat Brett's words almost every day.

"Just start climbing."

Hang in there, fellow courage seekers. You can make this climb!