Rock and a Hard Place

On an east bound American Airline flight, I stumbled upon a great article in the “American Way’ magazine written by Ethan Rouen. Mr. Rouen’s article “Between a Rock and Hard Place,” described the life of Alex Honnold, one of the greatest free-solo climbers in the world. Mr. Honnold, 26, climbs free-solo, flawless, and represents the same ability of many top climbers including mental fortitude, his ability to remain focused hour after hour.

One of the key statements was a prolific Buddhist statement:

“He is always in the moment, embracing the immediate physical demands of his task while accepting the inevitable distractions without letting them bother him.”

In a CNN report by John Cassaras, filmmaker Peter Mortimer state Honnold’s “an elite climber. In the mental game, Alex is inarguably the greatest in the history of the sport. His ability to be composed in the most extreme positions is beyond wherever anyone has gone or thought they could go.”

The key to being successful, in all forms of business is to be in the moment, be composed and embrace the demands without being bothered. That is the true form of artistic Buddhism and greatness.