Never Look Down or You May Rise

“Never look down, keep your eyes on the goal”. That was the advice of her father when she first took the piton in her hands at the age of 7. She was a rock climber who never looks down for over 20 years until she had to turn her eyes down as a reflex one day.

She was trying not to make a mistake to become an Alpinist like her father but she never realized that the advice she followed all these years restrained her from achieving her goal.

Mistakes Like Burden

She had several serious injuries from her mistakes which remind themselves every time she works harder to achieve the peak of a rock. When pain gets insufferable, shame, guilt and disappointment arouse from the old mistakes like she is falling deep down into her father’s eyes. She could not forget the first time she noticed his desperate look and how he turned back but left that look with her forever and called her mum to take care of the wound. It was like his sharp looks were cutting the rope with each mistake to remind her that she could fall from a higher point. The rope became weaker and weaker as the mistakes follow one other.

Focus On Mistakes

Although she got several rewards it was not enough to see a little piece of praise in his eyes. After the rewards, they spent hours to discuss the mistakes she made and who was better than she. One day she dared to mention about the others she passed but it was the last sentence of the night. Her father did not talk to her for two days until he finally said “they were nobody”.

Her training was totally focused on the mistakes that should not be done again and the best climbers that she should look up to follow. There was no place for mistakes but goal achievement.

Losing Self-Belief

The last competition of the year was her final chance to prove him that she was ready to climb higher but she could not find him among the supporters. She was alone! She took a deep breath to focus on climbing but instead she started to visualize the worst mistakes she made. Time was up and she had to start climbing even though she was not ready. She was trying not to make the same mistakes again and watched the others moving higher. Each time a competitor passed her she became weaker and smaller on the rock. The thought of making mistakes washed away her self-belief just before she heard a desperate sound.

Mistakes to Strengths

It was the sound of a slipping hand of a competitor and her sudden, strong breath before she turned her head down and fetched her competitors hand as a reflex. She was grateful that her father was not watching because she knew that once she made an exception to the golden rule-never look down- his silence would be more than two days or weeks. That fear turned into strength when she realized that she not only saved her friend’s life. There were six more competitors down the rock far away from her. She turned back and looked at the peak of the rock and saw the illusion of her father’s sharp eyes punishing her for making an exception but she was stronger than before. His judging look will not be enough to cut the rope this time. She knows that she had the power to pass seven competitors and she can be the winner no matter how many times she failed before. This time she was empowered with her small accomplishments and her mistakes were helping her to climb faster. She looked at the peak once more and hurried for the trophy.

It was the first time she saw a tear drop at her father’s eye but there was also a piece of sorrow and regret when she arrived home and shared the trophy with him.

Mistakes are the building stones of success if attached together with personal strengths.