Touching the Void

If you have ever seen the film "Touching the Void" you appreciate that most accidents in mountaineering happen on the way down rather than on the way up or on top of the mountain - making it the most important part of the journey. We sometimes take years to climb a particular mountain with the expectation of a spectacular view. We follow others, because they have been to the top and rave about the beauty. When we achieve our goal we don't always like what we see, but we still have to come down. There is a danger to get stuck on top - often mourning the effort it took to get there and being unable to let go. We stay longer than it is useful even though we might be disappointed with what we encounter because we hope that things somehow miraculously improve - and of course they rarely do. 

Coming down the mountain is about engaging in the process of endings. Most of us get excited about starting a new project, planning and preparing for it. The actual journey up is filled with anticipation and the hope to see something extraordinary. The trip down however can be very mundane and sometimes painful. Yet it is not all about the view, it is about the experience of the going up and down and what we do with it, which is never wasted. The efforts put in, even though the outcome might have been lacking, are never lost.have been contemplating on the pace of my own life and that of the people I see both professionally and privately. There is a real urge in myself and the people around me to move from one experience to the next and a craving for new learning and development. Through the help of my supervisor I have come to realise how important slowing down is - on many different levels.  

Dare making the descent and engage with endings gracefully! Endings hold so much potential for learning even if they seem less exhilarating. They are important to bring closure and to create space in order for new things to come in and they are filled with opportunities to grow and evolve.

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