You don't have to be a fantastic hero to do certain things -- to compete. You can be just an ordinary chap, sufficiently motivated to reach challenging goals.
-Sir Edmund Hillary
There may very well be two kinds of people in this world, those inspired by acts of greatness and those whom are only capable of disbelief. Many of us lack the confidence in ourselves to believe that we can do something extraordinary, something inspiring, but we can adjust our confidence levels through our perception of what others are capable of. Even still we will often remain cynical, just because Ed Viesturs can climb to the top of all the highest mountains doesn't mean that I can climb a mountain, period, after all he's an elite athlete!However, when we learn that Joe Blow from South Dakota scaled Everest with one prosthetic leg, well then we reevaluate our perceptions of what it possible. If he can do it than maybe I can too. But inspiration doesn't have to carry over to the same sport or actions from which it came. Somebody running 100 miles in a day is inspiring but all it needs to do is make you realize that there are undone things in your own life that can be completed with the same level of commitment and determination. Maybe you just want to work out 3 days a week, or have the strength to leave a job you hate, or mend a friendship that is broken. The point is acts of greatness don't have to come from great people, in fact in most cases the most inspiring stories come from the average Joe. It's up to us to decide what we do with these stories. Do we maintain our belief that everyone but us is capable or do we dare to push our own limits into an unknown frontier? After all, only those who risk going to far can possibly find out how far one can go.
There may very well be two kinds of people in this world, those inspired by acts of greatness and those whom are only capable of disbelief. Many of us lack the confidence in ourselves to believe that we can do something extraordinary, something inspiring, but we can adjust our confidence levels through our perception of what others are capable of. Even still we will often remain cynical, just because Ed Viesturs can climb to the top of all the highest mountains doesn't mean that I can climb a mountain, period, after all he's an elite athlete!However, when we learn that Joe Blow from South Dakota scaled Everest with one prosthetic leg, well then we reevaluate our perceptions of what it possible. If he can do it than maybe I can too. But inspiration doesn't have to carry over to the same sport or actions from which it came. Somebody running 100 miles in a day is inspiring but all it needs to do is make you realize that there are undone things in your own life that can be completed with the same level of commitment and determination. Maybe you just want to work out 3 days a week, or have the strength to leave a job you hate, or mend a friendship that is broken. The point is acts of greatness don't have to come from great people, in fact in most cases the most inspiring stories come from the average Joe. It's up to us to decide what we do with these stories. Do we maintain our belief that everyone but us is capable or do we dare to push our own limits into an unknown frontier? After all, only those who risk going to far can possibly find out how far one can go.
Top pic is Shannan crossing an avalanche shoot below Chasm Lake, CO
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