Having just one week ago had to abandon a mountain climb due to physical limitation for the first time in my life, I identify with the points you're making here, Thalia! How do I know if i made the right decision? Because I'm still alive! And I learnt the need to listen to my body not my pride...
Mt Brandon in the Dingle Peninsula, on the west coast of Ireland. Got to within 200m of the top. On the positive side, it also gave me my Substack for last Sunday! Like a lot of our ego-drives, at its best it drives us to accomplish more than we and others thought we are capable of. On the negative side, it can harm us and/or others. Wisdom, I believe, is knowing the difference and therefore when to stop.
I have learned in my decision making to only ask one question. Can it be made to work? The rest will send you into the dark well of paralysis by analysis. There is no right or wrong decision.
Age definitely helps focus on #5 and #6, sometimes in a negative way. I see a possibly negative impact and I think: at my age does it really matter? And just walk on in. And it's not even on the bucket list!
The bucket list lasts as long as your breath. Tick off a few and more find their way on. I've been up volcanoes but I always fancied going up Gunung Agung. Been to Lombok a few times before it was wildly popular, but never did the Agung trek on Bali. So it's still on the list.
Having just one week ago had to abandon a mountain climb due to physical limitation for the first time in my life, I identify with the points you're making here, Thalia! How do I know if i made the right decision? Because I'm still alive! And I learnt the need to listen to my body not my pride...
Peter- Pride has always been a difficult ego-driven character in everyone. Glad you’re back in one piece. Which climb did you do, Peter?
Mt Brandon in the Dingle Peninsula, on the west coast of Ireland. Got to within 200m of the top. On the positive side, it also gave me my Substack for last Sunday! Like a lot of our ego-drives, at its best it drives us to accomplish more than we and others thought we are capable of. On the negative side, it can harm us and/or others. Wisdom, I believe, is knowing the difference and therefore when to stop.
The latter being one of the more difficult wisdoms to take heed, but perhaps also one of the most important ones. 🤓
I have learned in my decision making to only ask one question. Can it be made to work? The rest will send you into the dark well of paralysis by analysis. There is no right or wrong decision.
I like the way you phrase paralysis by analysis as a “dark well.” This is a very good visual, David.
Age definitely helps focus on #5 and #6, sometimes in a negative way. I see a possibly negative impact and I think: at my age does it really matter? And just walk on in. And it's not even on the bucket list!
Great point here, Bob. There’s ease in decision making that comes with age. What are some things on the bucket list, Bob? 🙏
The bucket list lasts as long as your breath. Tick off a few and more find their way on. I've been up volcanoes but I always fancied going up Gunung Agung. Been to Lombok a few times before it was wildly popular, but never did the Agung trek on Bali. So it's still on the list.
Bob, did you trek up Gunung Rinjani when you were in Lombok? Gunung Agung is breathtaking. But Rinjani in my personal opinion is even more so.
No haven't done Rinjani either, so there's another on the list! 😂
One or the other should be good enough. And as you said: It doesn’t really matter which one at this point. 🤓