Getting going

Yesterday a friend and I made the most of the sun with a trip to Tremadog.  Hopefully its reassuring to hear, that like many people on their first route of the year, we managed to get the ropes a bit tangled, faff with gear, and forget something (a helmet!).  Many people I have worked with are quite hard on themselves about this sort of thing, feeling that things have to be 'right'.  This can also extend to being hard on yourself about feeling nervous - well I certainly felt some nerves as I set off up a route which I knew was well within my capability!  The point is, we are not perfectly functioning robots.  We all have 'irrational' thoughts, difficult feelings, are easily distracted, have strange foibles.  But fighting them, not wanting to think or feel or experience them makes them stronger and 'stickier'.  My tip for the day, in fact for life is, accept!  Allow yourself to think/feel/do, and then return your awareness to the present.  For example, rather than fighting an understandable lack of fluidity and nerves due to lack of practice with "come on, get the right piece of gear in, get a grip", notice those thoughts and feelings ("ok, I am feeling a bit clunky and a bit nervous") and then return to the task in hand, without self judgement.  Focus back on the rock, the moves, the sights, sounds and feel of what is in front of you.  Your mind will do its own thing, conjuring up spectres without your help, and you are not your thoughts.  You are this solid, living person, here in this moment.