Some hikes test your legs. Others test your lungs. But the rare ones, like the climb of Torreys Peak with my daughter, test your heart. We started late and unhurried. Trusting the forecast that promised clear skies through midday, we […]
Some hikes test your legs. Others test your lungs. But the rare ones, like the climb of Torreys Peak with my daughter, test your heart. We started late and unhurried. Trusting the forecast that promised clear skies through midday, we […]
When you learn how to navigate in the wild, you learn more than just how to read a map. You are taught that a map and compass are more than just tools; they’re a kind of truth. You learn that […]
Some Storms You Don’t See Coming We had barely made it through the gates of Busch Gardens when the skies turned. The kids and I had planned for a day packed with thrill rides, laughter, and all the sugary snacks. […]
“It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.” — Sir Edmund Hillary Somewhere above the tree line, where the air thins and the weather turns with little warning, I learned that the most important gear you carry isn’t on […]
Somewhere along the way, many of us learned that strength meant shutting down.Don’t cry. Don’t flinch. Don’t feel too much. Just get through it.In a world that glorifies toughness, vulnerability looks like weakness. But here’s the truth I’ve come to […]
I recently read an interview with Jack Johnson, the heavyweight boxing champion of the world from 1908-1915. In discussing how the sport has changed, he said something simple and profound. Some of the greatest fighters of all time didn’t last because they could punch the hardest; but because they knew how to take a punch.
It’s all about the stance Johnson said, the positioning of your feet: “Front foot pointed forward, rear foot pointed out at an angle.” This stance gave fighters perfect balance, and control. The fighters who could take a hit, and still stand, would prevail; because once you are thrown off balance, your opponent gains the upper hand.