At RICH’S RIDE we talk a lot about climbing hills.
Maybe that’s because most anyone, with minimal training and effort, can bike on flat, smooth terrain. The hills and mountains are the interesting, challenging, and sometimes frightening parts of the ride.
People face many different kinds of hills; the ones we ascend on bikes may be among the easiest. Recently I’ve spoken to a number of folks who seem to face an especially steep uphill battle. I’ve noticed something interesting.
We focus a lot on the ascent, but the people hurting worst aren’t the ones struggling up the hill. The most severe pain seems reserved for those who aren’t sure how to begin. Instead of tackling the challenge, they sit at the bottom and stare at what feels like an impossible incline. Paralyzed by depression, fear, and uncertainty, they’re unable to take the first step on a difficult journey.
One thing’s certain–it doesn’t really matter how tough or easy the climb might be. If you’re unable or unwilling to start, you’ll never get to the top.
I’ve always thought people mostly know what they need, how to solve their own problems. They have the ability to climb the hill. Climbing is surely hard, but experience tells me you can get to the top of just about any slope if you just keep grinding. That’s true in cycling and in life.
The really hard part is beginning. Maybe what people need, more than anything else, is the courage to begin the climb.
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Looking back at my classroom experience, I learned to let students struggle through their own problem solving process without the need to rescue them. Handing them a shortcut wasn’t a favor—as long as they were moving forward.
The art was finding those who stopped trying, identifying the source of frustration or fear, and providing just enough encouragement to get them moving again.
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It’s easy to judge those who refuse to try. They’re lazy, unmotivated, looking for the easy way.
Perhaps. Or maybe they’re scared, and the fear overwhelms the desire to reach the top. Maybe they’ve failed too many times. Maybe they’ve lost their faith.
So what can we do? We can put an arm on their shoulder and say, “Come on, you can do this. Let’s go. We’ll do it together.”
People don’t need us to climb the hills for them. The most respectful, empowering thing we can do is to help them discover the courage to use their own ability to get themselves to the top. We can help them find the courage to take those first steps, by sharing our courage with them.
When you give away courage–that’s called encourage. It’s a great gift.
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