TO SKI OR NOT TO SKI
A few weeks ago I went skiing, and I want to tell you why it was a big deal.
In the early 90s, shortly after coming to the United States, my kind step-father who loved sports took me skiing. A teen at the time, I was fearless and quickly picked up the sport. We skied together for a few seasons before I went off to college. Years later I was invited to join friends and had the opportunity to get back into it when I lived in the Poconos, which is a well-known skiing spot. But I never did.
Although I’ve always liked exercising, I suffer from chronic back pain and convinced myself of the following:
Skiing would only hurt my back.
Sudden movement or an unexpected bump would put me out and I would suffer with back pain and limited mobility for days.
Staying away from skiing was the responsible thing to do in order to protect me and my health.
Sounds like a bunch of limiting beliefs but at the time when I thought I was “protecting” myself, I didn’t see these beliefs as anything but caution.
Recently, when a group of friends suggested a ski trip to Stowe, VT, I eagerly agreed, convinced I would simply enjoy the scenery and skip skiing. Weeks of tossing the idea of “to ski or not to ski” drove me a little mad and finally, out of frustration, I made a decision to take the leap and ski. I decided that I would try it once and see how I felt because after all, how will I actually know if I don’t ever try?
When the big day arrived, I was excited. Morning ski lesson, equipment rental, and lift day pass were sorted. And while getting the boots on and making my way to the lesson nearly made me give up, I persisted.
In less than an hour, as the snow fell on the mountain creating the most magical scenery, I was hooked again. I could not stop smiling. The body…my body, that I was so worried about protecting, was remembering the movements it knew so well decades earlier.
The only question I kept asking myself was - why hadn't I tried this sooner?!
Losing myself in the pure unadulterated joy of skiing, the feel of the mountain under my feet, and the softness of the falling snow, I felt more energized than I have in a very long time. The back I was so concerned about was protected by the wisdom of a 49-year-old who respects nature and is deferential to the elements.
A week later and I am already a proud owner of ski boots and a helmet. The skis themselves will have to wait a little until I log in more ski time.
This whole experience made me wonder about a few things:
What else in my life am I “protecting” myself from?
Where am I telling myself stories that are keeping me from joy?
Where am I closing myself off to possibilities?
While this experience resulted in a renewed source of joy, it could have just as easily ended in me swearing off ski trips for life. But, getting back on skis and testing the slopes would nevertheless have offered the knowing rather than untested stories I was accepting as the truth.
And while we may not try everything we’ve ever wondered about (hard pass for me on skydiving), putting our old beliefs to the test and questioning them will always lead to truth.
How about you, dear friend? Where are you closing yourself off to possibilities? What is that keeping you away from?
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