So Whatcha Gonna Do With This New Found Inspiration?

I'm currently sitting in the Vancouver airport about to fly out to my 45 day work stint in Quebec. I returned home from Yosemite and the Mountain Hardwear Athlete Innovation Conference at midnight on Friday, worked Saturday and Sunday, packed my bags immediately following work, and headed straight here. The life button has definitely been stuck on FFWD recently. I'm nervously excited about this new opportunity, but also wishing I had a single day of rest before heading into it. My next day off will likely come in November!

Anyways, back to Yosemite. It was a fantastically amazing four days spent in a paradisal secluded setting within a sixty year old cabin in the woods. I consumed more food in the 96hr than the previous 96 days and our hosts at the cabin made a special Gluten Free meal for me at every sitting...from scratch! I had the absolute best GF Pizza of my entire life, not to mention the cookies, pastas, BBQ's, breads, etc, etc, etc. Our hosts have Italian roots and none of us had to question this. I think the longest stint I had without food was my 90min run with Topher Gaylord, the new president of the company.

SO, I'm sitting in this room, at this table, talking gear with a bunch of gear junkies. I look around and find myself nearly overwhlemed. I'm completely surrounded by some of the most accomplished, passionate, dedicated, and humble athletes on the entire planet. The collective resumes of those within the room would easily trump what you might be able to piece together from an entire city of individuals. I felt small. Not insignificant small, but small fish in big pond small. I embraced every second of it.

I hear and read the words 'inspiration' and 'inspired' far too much lately. People seem to toss these words around like candy and I rarely go a day without noticing someone saying something has inspired them. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, just that for me I guess the difference breaks down between feeling inspired and being inspired. To feel inspired is to know you've been touched, moved, motivated, by anothers actions or words. To be inspired is to take this feeling one step further and transcend it into your own relevant actions, no matter what they might be.

Each year after seeing the highlights of The Banff Mountain Film Fest I leave the theatre feeling like I could sprout my own wings and fly to the moon and back...but rarely have I been able to act directly upon this. Mainly this is due to the fact that I tend to dream big, and the bigger the dream the scarier it can seem in your own mind.

I am inspired. I want to act on this strong sense of inspiration. Just five days ago I was sitting in a room full of complete strangers who had only previously existed within magazines, websites, and movies. A few days later and all I kept thinking was, 'what separates those who accomplish great feats to those who simply dream of great feats?' The answer is obviously action, but beyond the most simplistic answer, what allows these individuals to stare there relevant fears in the face and say,

"Na ah, not listening to you today."

I am dreaming and schemeing, and about to board a flight to the middle of nowhere for the next 45 or so days. My singular goal upon this journey is to find clarity in how I intend to live the next few years of my life. I have been very content and satisfied with everything I have been able to pursue and accomplish thus far in my 33 years upon this beautiful planet. In fact had you told me at ninteen years old where I would be when I was 33 I would have laughed and said, "yeah right!". I believe I am currently living my best case scenario.

Now it's just a matter of ensuring I can mimic this exact same conversation wtih myself when I'm 43 years old...

"Remember, tomorrow is promised to no one"

GR