Well, did you hold your breath for a second when watching this picture? This is understandable, because most people would probably neither come to such a glacier region, nor would they voluntarily walk over this ladder. But maybe this photo of Stacy Taniguchi will become a symbol for your year 2022 and your life in general.
Something you own that no one in the world can ever take away from you is CHOICE. You always have the ability to choose. Even if you don’t decide, that's a choice. In this case, you choose not to decide. In the same way, you can also choose how you want to grow in your life. In life, you basically have two choices: 1. Thrive and be inspired or 2. Endure life.
What you choose is up to you. But be aware that you are the creator of your own life. You can stay in supposed circumstances, relationships, dramas, etc. that may not do you any good, or you can choose something else. It is and remains your choice. This is the inner freedom you have. In order to go or realign your path, the following 3 crucial questions may help you:
1. The question of Nietzsche
Nietzsche would ask the eternally recurring question at this point: "If you could live your life over and over again the same way as before for all eternity, would you do it?"
This question is about taking a look at where you are in life and stepping out of your comfort zone. To apply Nietzsche's question to everyday life, you can also ask yourself the following questions:
- If you could continue to do the job you're doing over and over again, for all eternity, would you do it?
- If you could continue to live the relationship you are currently living (or not living), would you do it?
- If you lived over and over again in the exact place where you live right now, would you do it?
- If your daily routine were over and over again as it is day in and day out, would you choose it?
You can also break down Nietzsche's original question even further into everything you find in your life. The fact is, if you have answered NO to even one question, then you are on the edge of the crevasse. Then it's time to leave your comfort zone and grow, thrive, dare to try new things.
2. WHAT do you cross the ladder for?
And this is where the image of the crevasse that Stacy captured on one of his Mount Everest tours comes into play. There are actually such crossing ladders on large mountain expeditions. The unpleasant thing about such ladders is that a single, violent gust of wind can sweep you off the ladder and you fall 1000 meters into the abyss. But instead of letting yourself be blocked by this fear – in everyday life this would be your fear of leaving your comfortable, cuddly warm comfort zone – it's about looking ahead and asking yourself the following question:
„What would make you cross the ladder?“
- Would you cross it for 1 euro? Probably not.
- Would you cross it if you saw your own 3-year-old toddler on the other side, playing completely self-absorbed at the edge of the crevasse and risking to fall down? Yes, you would probably start running immediately.
Answer the question in a radically honest way. What would you cross the ladder for in your life? What do you see on the other side of the crevasse that is worth going for? What kind of life is waiting for you there, what kind of relationship? Once you've figured that out, look what the principle behind it is? The principle that you find out for yourself at this point is your core principle, which brings you to your goals in life.
When I asked myself this question 15 years ago, I was no longer happy in my old job and with the topic of relationship it did not look so great either. What shone on the other side of the crevasse was "meaningfulness and fulfillment in life" at that time. For this, I was willing to go over the ladder without knowing what that would mean, what job I would do in the future or what it would mean for my relationship life. Meaningfulness and fulfillment was what I was striving for.
2. HOW do you cross the ladder?
But it is not only decisive what is on the other side of the the ladder for you. This is only the first puzzle part. The almost more important question is: "HOW do you cross the ladder?"
For example, if we take the playing toddler again, for whom you would go over the bridge to save him from falling, then it does not make much sense to storm the ladder and push people who are still on the ladder into the abyss. The HOW are your principles that bring you over the ladder, or that bring you forward in your life to reach the new goal or level.
When I had in mind the core principle of meaningfulness and fulfillment in life, the principles of HOW to walk the ladder were immediately clear. For me at the time it was clarity, inspiration, possibility, joy of life and integrity that gave me the necessary focus to walk the ladder.
Leaving your comfort zone is anything but easy. You'll feel fear because you don't know what's waiting for you out there, away from the soft comfort zone. There will be people who try to prevent you from crossing the ladder, because you may also be shaking up their secure structures. Your own beliefs and stories will try to prevent you from going. When you leave your comfort zone, you will experience something new and may not know how to do it. But that's exactly what enriches your life. Trust the fear. It just shows you that something new is coming your way. On the ladder of your life – just like on the glacier - you just take the next step and keep your focus on the vision (the other side of the ladder).
Life is precious. What do you make of it? Do you keep being stuck in the same swamp or do you have the courage to leave your comfort zone, thrive and live a life full of inspiration and fulfillment? It's your choice. Do you cross the ladder?
All the best,
Nicola
P. S. Below you will find the picture with the questions, if you want to print it out as a reminder.