I love this saying of my father’s. He died too young but if I could see him again, I would thank him for gifting me with this nugget of wisdom. From my father I’ve learned that if I look to others to tell me when I’ve been successful at something, or if I’m reluctant to take on a project because I won’t get enough applause for it, I believe that I construct a kind of prison around myself which not only limits my happiness but also who I might become and what I might do with my life. Since my illness I now believe that the greatest reward for climbing is not the applause but the journey and its views along the way, and the peace that comes from listening to my inner voice even when no one is watching. In the end I’m grateful for the freedom that my father’s saying, and the way he lived by it, has had on my life.
- My book, Poisoned by Pollution: An Unexpected Spiritual Journey, is the story about how I turned the wisdom I gained from 14 years living as a shut-in due to illness to create an astonishingly adventurous, happy life. Learn more: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref...