Summit Bids – Breakthroughs

Howdy,

When was the last time you experienced a breakthrough in your life? When was the last time you conquered a fear and felt like you could take on anything in the world? When was the last time you upped your workout level beyond your typical level and intensity, finding a new gear?

You know that feeling. The one that feels like you’ve made a summit bid. You are standing on top of the mountains, on the shoulders of giants, and every bit of your body believes that you can be and do absolutely anything.

You could win the Olympics if you kept at your running, or at least win a local 5K race. You could write website code for your most admired organization. You could take over as CEO of your company. You could take on the challenges of the jungle or the more difficult travels of less beaten pathed countries.

Breakthrough moments confirm that we are on the steep learning curve in life, which we ought to all be on.

Challenging. Learning. Growing. REST. Challenging…

Coaching marathon runners and walkers for many years, I noticed how important certain workouts were for my athletes. For those that had never run a mile in their life, running a timed mile was their first breakthrough experience that set them off on finishing a half-marathon or full marathon. For others it was running a 10K (6.2 miles). Most people when they’ve run to stay in shape, they typically stay between the 30 minute and 1 hour range. 6.2 miles was pushing them just beyond this. For others it was participating in an actual race where they were competing alongside others, hyper-aware of their own energy and the others around them.

For all, completing the half-marathon or marathon left them exhausted and beyond elated. They wanted to tell the world. They wanted to scream from those mountain tops. The marathon medal was worn everywhere.

The large majority of these participants are still walking and running years later.

Breakthroughs happen when we venture beyond, into untrampled territory.

We breakthrough the sound barrier of our body. The sound barrier of our body yelling, kicking and screaming, telling us not to go forward. But we do anyhow. We know somewhere deep within, or perhaps we trust someone else, that all will be fine. We will live. We are capable. And we will achieve.

These are the moments where we experience extreme growth. Our plodding often turns into a sprint. We are set free.

The same happens in travel. First we venture beyond our hometown. Then we become willing to venture beyond the county. Then outside our state. Then outside the region. Then across the country. Then beyond our country’s border.

I remember my first time driving on my own to my sister’s university 1 hour and 15 minutes north. I drove along.  I grew in that drive.

Each experience gives us more confidence in diving deeper and pressing beyond our fears. Of course, there are times when we are shocked backwards. We have a set back. We get something stolen. We are left in a precarious situation. In these moments, as the cowboys say, “we must get back on the horse” immediately if we are to ever “ride” or travel again.

What is your next breakthrough in life going to be? How about travel?

It doesn’t have to be monumentous. It could be splashing back into the pool after taking years off from swimming laps. It could be a return trip to an easily traveled country after staying national for ten years.

Whatever it is, plan it now when you are done reading this sentence.  Now, share it with the Be Multinational community in the comment section below.

You’ve been given one Earth.  Live, travel, work and study about it.