Aug 15, 2009
why do i climb?
often i have people come up to me and ask me, "what? you are still in climbing? not sian arh?". this statement is often the source of my angst. the most recent time this phrase was voiced to me was during the climbing open house we had for the sports camp. jups the slavedriver put me and yixiong through our paces and converted us into 'showhorses' for the freshies.
alas, my reply is still the same. a nonchalant smile. a shrug of the shoulder. the shuffle of the feet. with the passing of age, it has dawned on me that it's useless to launch into a tirade to defend your personal pursuit of happiness.
i'm lucky to have found my passion. others are not so fortunate. 10,000 hours; and i'll be a master. a true master, as opposed to being a mediocre jack-of-all-trades.
i daydream about the next climbing trip. more of climbing's secrets are revealed to me with every expedition to the great outdoors. i relish that crux on the route that stumps me. for me, that moment when i'm gasping for air; when my arms are flooded with lactic acid but i'm still fighting for the next hold; when my ears block out and block up; when i enter the zone and take total control over my body - are moments that make me feel ever so alive. i'm addicted to that feeling. and i always go back for more.
for me, there is no good route or bad route. routes that suit my style or routes that don't. all that matters is whether i can send the route or not. how i coerce my body to fill that void in the rock. how i meld into the craftily created cracks and crevices. how i subtly tease the route into accommodating one more climber to reach her crown.
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10 000 hours and become master. this phrase v familiar. is it from a book?
ReplyDeleteV
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ReplyDeletehello vincent,
ReplyDeletei first chanced upon this concept in malcolm gladwell's book - outliers. it says that you'll become a true master in your field if you spend either 10,000 hours or 10 years practising the craft (or whichever came first). a friend have told me that this theory is first voiced out by some other social scientist though i know his name not.
anyways there is empirical evidence showing that all the various leaders in their fields - mozart/einstein just to name a few, only truly shone after 10,000 hours of dedicated work.
hope this reply goes some way into answering your queries.