Hang In There! How To Move Forward in the Face of Fear and Uncertainty.

Last month, my family and I visited the Red River Gorge area and spent an afternoon rock climbing. This picture is of me, up high on a cliff face, searching for my next tiny finger and toe holds, which would be my path to ascend to the climb's destination. Going into the trip, I knew I would be my family’s weak link in climbing compared to my super athletic and capable husband and sons. I was selling myself short. I did something I did not think I could do. Five days before my 50th birthday, I reached the top of three of the four climbs we surmounted that day. It was hard. There were times when I wanted to give up, not knowing if I could do it. But I hung on. When I didn’t know where to go next, I stayed where I was, practicing being mentally calm while I searched for my next move, trusting the equipment I was in and the person below me who had me anchored by the ropes. I knew I was safe if I fell. In this sense of safety, I could take risks and stay focused on the upward motion of the climb.

Sometimes, we all find ourselves in situations where we have climbed to a particular spot and are still determining what move we should make next. How do we keep moving up when the path is unclear? In those moments of uncertainty, sometimes the best thing we can do is stay calm and hang on. A lot of us are feeling that way right now. The path seems unclear, and we don’t know where to go next. How do we find trust and faith in the fear of the unknown? How do we see the path forward or upward? It’s okay to pause and survey our surroundings when we are unclear. When we feel overwhelmed, it’s okay to focus on that step, which might be the only one we can see from where we are. If you are feeling unsteady, trust that you are capable. If you are feeling fear, trust you are supported by forces seen and unseen. If you are feeling alone, trust you are not the only one hanging on by a tiny finger or toe hold right now. We are each other’s safety nets. Hang in there. Keep up the Climb. You can do this. We can do this, one step at a time.