sparkignitefire

I got a great email from a dear Reader this morning. A story of a circle back, this one happened to be a book. Books have always been great friends. They are hard to part with and when I loan them out, there is a stiff warning attached. They amount to half the boxes I pack when we move. Dear friends. He told me about how a book was on the shelf in his house for years and years then it was sold. He by chance opened it in a bookstore, it was something that he connected to. Just like that.

People, books, running, business…we can circle back. It really is inevitable. Everything leaves a mark…a scar on you. ( a torn hamstring)

There has to be something we can do about the copious amounts of snot Jan brings us. Something…come on smart-guys figure out how to replace ears or something with it.

I love the term “failing forward”. While the word fail is in there, it is the forward motion that is compelling. Almost as though you have completely worn yourself out and visually I see a person literally falling forward and landing on his face. You moved the length of your body with that move.

My first attempt at climbing Mt McKinley was a failure. A forward failure though. I joined a team that when I met them, while nice people not all motivated as you should be climbing such a large, cold and unforgiving mountain. We were a group led by a super climber, veteran of Denali many times over. While I loved him, he did not trust that I could manage myself. This was issue #1. Some of you know, I am a human heater. I live in the midwest, and do not own a coat. So when I am told that I must wear two pairs of thick wool socks, three layers and bibs, this is a meltdown waiting to happen. It sounds like I’m blaming him. No, I take full responsibility for my inability to tell him till he got it. The team was disjointed, the weather was crap and the writing was on the wall. It was not to be. So my second chance to climb, I found a team I adored. I was in a tent with one of the smartest people I have ever met. Mensa had nothing on him and we got along like a house on fire. My amblings about popular culture amused him. He was doing calculus in diapers. Today he runs a Hedge Fund worth millions. We were on the mountain late in the season, the poopers were gone from 14,000 ft, the last of the rangers were going home and we were alone. It was glorious. The weather was great until we had camp at 17,000 set up. Then we got pummeled. Ten days in 75-100 mile an hour winds and we stopped looking at the temps once it got down to -38 below. There is a hilarious picture of me attempting to navigate to our homemade igloo 17k pooper in a white out. I loved every minute of it. Right team, right place, and for me right amount of clothing. We summited on a beautiful clear day after 28 days on the most incredible piece of rock. That team is spread to the winds today and it’s still one of my favourite teams. It took failing forward on the 1st attempt to get the chance to be with such amazing humans on the 2nd go round. Somehow the Universe knew to circle back. (I said before I would circle back for you, when you are ready to be honest-I meant it)

Sometimes it’s hard to find the “forward” part in failure. Look hard, it’s there. Failed relationships, failed businesses, failed sewing project….they all have a forward in them. Find it. If you don’t there is a law of the Universe that it will keep biting you in the ass until you fess up and see it.

Whatever it is that we failed on today, yesterday…..four minutes ago, let’s agree to find the forward part and begin again.

Love you.