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Episode 499

• We are almost at 500 episodes
• Every time I hit another 100 episodes I take that episode to reflect
• And I will do the same in the upcoming 500^th episode
• And then I will celebrate by taking off
• My listeners know that I don’t really take off – I still bring you episodes mo, we, fri
• But I will pick 2 weeks worth of favorite episodes from the last 100 recorded
• This gives you time to catch up on some episodes you might have missed
• And it gives me some time to refuel with fresh ideas and new content
• I call them Best Of episodes and I select them based on your feedback and based on the content I believe to be most valuable
• But – we are not there yet
• Although I am already in reflection mode
• As I am writing this episode, it is Sunday and as you might know, because I talked about it before, every Sunday I look at the week ahead of me in my calendar
• When I am in the mountains, or in the car on the way back home, I think about it
• today, as I looked at the few remaining weeks in this calendar year, shivers ran down my spine
• partially because i am forced to acknowledge the fac that summer has come to an end
• I told my climbing partner last weekend that I thought it would be hard to top last summer
• Last summer was my first climbing summer and it was the best summer I ever had
• But this summer was even better
• Last year I climbed smaller, local stuff
• This year, I climbed alongside the great climbers in the finest climbing areas this country has to offer
• I have climbed some of the classic routes, I gained invaluable experiences and learned important lessons
• And I had the best views I have ever had
• I bathed in lakes and showered in waterfalls
• I refreshed in ice-cold mountain lakes and warmed up super-hot hotsprings
• I learned about birds and trees and can name more mountains in Yosemite than last year
• I reached physical limits I didn’t know I had
• I met amazing human beings, some of them became friends
• It was my best summer yet and I cannot wait until next year
• But as I am sitting here looking at my calendar, I can feel the autumn gloom come on
• I have already pulled my heater out and I feel the need for warmth and comfort set in
• And that is why I want to encourage us all today with a very simple message:
• Fall can be the season where we pull back from our goals and dreams
• Holidays and a need for comfort take over and it is ok
• But our goals and dreams don’t have to be put on hold
• As the days get chillier, I can tell you, I am less motivated to be outside
• I had started to run 1-2 times per week in the mornings
• Lately I haven’t been able to get out
• In fact, just getting up and out of bed in the mornings is harder for me when its colder
• But as I am reflecting on my adventures in the mountains, I have to tell you:
• I never really looked forward to them the way I would look forward to a trip to Paris
• Mountain days are hard
  • Early mornings
  • Long days that are physically challenging
  • Evenings exhauseted and with little motivation to do it all again the next day
• Its only afterwards, when I am back home, that I look back longingly to those days
• Its afterwards because that is when I reached the summit
• When the hard work paid off
• So I want to remind you and me of this today:
• In order to feel the real joy and satisfaction, we have to keep going after it
• We all need rest, I get it
• Winter is a time for reflection and rest for me
• But it doesn’t mean we need to completely freeze our goals
• Small steps count
• But its important to stay with it
• So if you are feeling yourself to be somewhat in a lull
• Stuck maybe
• Without motivation,
• Allow yourself to be inspired by a few lines from my favorite German Writer
• Rainer Maria Rilke
• He wrote this for writers, but it applies to all of us who desire to create something:

For the sake of a few lines one must see many cities, men and things. One must know the animals, one must feel how the birds fly and know the gesture with which the small flowers open in the morning. One must be able to think back to roads in unknown regions, to unexpected meetings and to partings which one has long seen coming; to days of childhood that are still unexplained, to parents that one had to hurt when they brought one some joy and one did not grasp it (it was a joy for someone else); to childhood illness that so strangely began with a number of profound and grave transformations, to days in rooms withdrawn and quiet and to mornings by the sea, to the sea itself, to seas, to nights of travel that rushed along on high and flew with all the stars — and it is not yet enough if one may think of all of this. One must have memories of many nights of love, none of which was like the others, of the screams of women in labor, and of light, white, sleeping women in childbed, closing again. But one must also have been beside the dying, one must have sat beside the dead in the room with the open window and the fitful noises.

• Writers need experiences from which they then create stories
• We all need experiences from which to create our life
• We need to participate in life
• As a podcaster who is constantly searching for content and ideas, I have become a better listener to life
• You hear me share a lot of my experiences, the thoughts they provoke and the lessons I draw from them
• My experiences keep me alive because they constantly inspire me
  • The people I meet, even if it’s a coworker I have never really spoken to
  • The places I visit, even if its just another coffee shop here in my town
• If I stay stagnant, my brain does too
• But if I keep going out and try new things, I will continue to learn and grow
• And I encourage you to do the same
• Never stop
• Even if you don’t feel it right now, find something small that you can do
  • Take A walk in a new area
  • Go meet the person you met online in person
  • Take a risk
  • Attend the meetup you have been thinking about
  • Sign up for a fitness class
  • Give it a shot
• All our experiences teach us something but we have to let them
• There are 2 ½ months left in this year and I am going to start something new
• I will share more about it later
• I don’t feel like starting it,
• My negative mind says – just wait til next year
• But I say no
• I am starting now
• The plan is not perfect
• The ideas aren’t all in
• But I am going for it
• You don’t have to start anything new
• Just go out and keep collecting experiences
• Just because summer is over, my outdoor adventures don’t have to end
  • They may just be different ones
• Just because we have not reached our goals doesn’t mean we stop pursuing them
• Yes, this time of year is difficult
• Junk food and candy will show up more often in our lives and make it harder to stick to our diets
• Cold and dark mornings and evenings will deter us from going to the gym or the run
• Family visiting will eat up our time we currently dedicate to writing, creating, pursuing
•  
• But we need stay with it and do what we can
• Continue to participate in life
• Engage with it by taking a small chance here and there
• Go for something new
• Keep pushing on something in progress
• Gather experiences and let them guide you into new directions
• You never know what could happen
• But it can only happen when you keep stepping outside of your comfort zone

Much love