Push harder. Force yourself to get through it. Get uncomfortable. No pain, no gain.
Who's heard this? Who's lived this? Who continues to still do this... ?
In mountaineering, the climb is never one continuous upward push. There is a cyclic pattern and rhythm to the movement. You ascend to a certain altitude, letting your body adjust to less oxygen, then descend slightly and sleep at a lower elevation while your body recuperates. It’s not about pushing harder and faster to the top. The recovery days are when energy is replenished for the next altitude gain.
The pattern is much deeper.
The same goes for our own projects, goals, and objectives. You may want a clean decision, a finished strategy, and the next clear move. Clarity comes when we pause.
The stillness brings recovery in our body, integration in our mind, and playful space for something new to emerge.
Nature is always in perfect harmony. The mountains teach us this.
Before the next climb to a new altitude, we must first stabilize. Hydrate the body. Laugh with your friends or teammates. Check your resources. Check your gear. Let your body recover. Integrate the lessons of what worked and what didn't.
The greatest misconception is that a pause stops the momentum. And that pause is not wasted time.
Recovery is when the body catches up.
Integration is when the lessons emerge.
Play becomes the exploration into new possibilities for the next go around.
Only from this sacred stillness and open space can a leader acclimatize to the next level of leadership and growth.
The best and strongest mountaineers respect the cycles and rhythms. Move, rest, adjust, observe, and climb again.
There is no forcing. It becomes a natural progression to the next level.
While alpine climbing and acclimatizing in Ecuador a year ago, 2 of 3 team members didn't make the 19,000-foot summit due to having severe food poisoning in the days prior. The rest day was at a beautiful oasis resort in the valley at a much lower altitude. As we pulled out sweaty, foul-smelling clothes to wash, and reorganized gear across the giant living room, we ended up having a giant pillow fight - laughing and giggling that we almost peed our pants.
As we explored the property, we found a giant rose garden. Little did we know that Ecuador supplies most of the roses for Valentine’s Day. Who knew? The sheer beauty and smell of walking past the rose bushes engaged our nose hairs, delighted our eyes, and softened our hearts from a failed summit bid. All was right in the world after all.
We regrouped, rested, and summited a 17,000ft technical peak a few days later. A true feat for the hard work and dedication we put in. The sacred stillness of rest, recovery, and play is exactly what led to our success.
This week, ponder,
What if the intersection of stillness, recovery, and play leads you to your greatest breakthrough?
What if this sacred pause were routinely incorporated into your schedule?
When you apply these answers, this Applied DiscernmentTM guides you to new levels of coherence.
© 2026. Lora Lapiz. All Rights Reserved.
