Nothing is Impossible: Peaks and Life!

14 peaks called "Death Zone" peaks, all above 8000m in height. 7 months to conquer all of them. A seemingly impossible task, so aptly named "Project Possible" to silence the naysayers. A story of a fearless Nepali mountaineer Nimsdai Purja so beautifully captured with real-life footage from the adventure is what made me ponder over a few things over the weekend. It was not about the pain of seeing other humans in their endeavors, it was not about something being done for the first time, it was not about the social and political facets of mountaineering, it was not about filling a void in terms of what we do every day that is less exciting, and definitely, it was not about undying faith of his wife & mother, it was not about watching an underdog story who was on a mission to prove to himself or bring fame to his country, fellow mountaineers, sherpas, family and friends. It was a lot more...

This quest was not a first by any means, yet it was different. More than a quarter of a century back, Reinhold Messner had achieved this feat of climbing all 14 eight-thousands without the aid of supplementary oxygen though it took him 16 years to complete the mission. After that, many have attempted to do the same and the last record of completion was within the span of seven years. Many people will argue over the technicalities, mechanisms, etc. yet I saw it as a story that is worth watching to dig insider us and explore the "14 peaks" we want to conquer and the "time" and "way" we want to do the same. Typically holidays are a time to relax, socialize, enjoy and reflect on what went well and how best we can plan the time while our planet makes once more revolution around the parent star.

There are a few messages in the movie coming from experienced mountaineers, which I felt are worth reflecting on and pondering over in whatever field we are in. The risks may not be so dramatic and maybe it is not a matter of life and death, yet they are so profound and can make us relook at our approach to work and life. Possibly I will create a "book of inspirational quotes" with these and many more. Here are some of my favorites -

Mountain climbing is no fun. It is a place where you learn to cope with pain because it’s painful.

So true, anything we do is actually preparing us to be better at it as it helps us to manage it well, accept it and hence get the energy to move on to the next peak in our career or personal life.

Life is absurd. But you fill it with ideas, with enthusiasm, with joy.

The earlier we realize it, the better it is. However, we are very fortunate to have a human form where we have the potential to live this life fruitfully without thinking of these absurdities, but actually have a lot of fun, gaining new experiences and making new memories on the way.

You have to ask yourself, do you really want this from your heart?’ Is it for the glory? Or is it for something bigger?

Oh, this is my favorite as I believe the heart only leads you to the path which you want, which is unique, and which is for you. People can form opinions about you who think only from their heads, but it's the emotions that make us human.

Sometimes, the idea that you come up with may seem impossible to the rest of the world. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible for you.

The core message of this documentary and possibly entire life is this only. It is all about what we feel is "our possible" and what we want to achieve. In a real-world, this can lead to comparisons, clashes and challenges; but then who said it was easy.

The mountain does not say you are black, you are white, you are weak, you are strong. It’s one rule for everybody: if you give up, you die.

Dying is a relative world. I believe there can be different ways we all die either intellectually, mentally, physically, spiritually, and in so many other ways. If we replace mountains with life, it's easy to understand the concept. Live life to the fullest, your way.

It’s?not in my blood to leave a person behind

This one was profound as in our zeal or our mission to achieve something we need not give up on basic tenets of being human. it's the people whom we helped in the worst of times who are our best friends, instead of those with whom we partied in the best of times.

I have to compete against myself to be better than who I was yesterday

Even in some of the teachings of Indian texts and modern speakers today, life is an infinite game where players come in and go, but each of them creates something better. It's not about beating somebody and feeling proud about it; we are better off competing with ourselves.

Guys, this is my idea. If you feel like it’s stupid and if you feel like you’re gonna die, you don’t have to come with me

We can't succeed alone and yet we want to make everyone responsible for their decisions. Commitment can't be forced, a person needs to buy into the cause to be really successful. The A-Team as people so often say these days is not about best folks, but best-aligned folks.

I like people that do and not chat. You have to be willing to try. Trying means also, you have a chance to fail.

This has become a scarce resource these days, as we hear a lot of noise and fewer actions. Sometimes it's the quietest person in the team that gets the maximum work done. Yet, we do not see the effort of the people who try. Small wins, small moves make a difference.

I have been coming from mounatin to mountain, and sometimes you feel like you are f*ck#d, but when you say you are actually f*ck#d, you are only like about 45% f*ck#d

This is something which I believe talks about "fact-fulness" (this is a topic for another day, search for the book with this name) and "perceptions" we carry. Human potential is much more than what we feel. The pain is real, but its extent or perception is sometimes over-exagerrated.

What’s next, mate? Well, I haven’t even started it. And you know what? Next, we go even bigger

Not everyone would believe in your vision. Do it and then talk about it to avoid the naysayers. A lot of people fight their demons and cry till they fall asleep, but only a few of them get up the next morning to face those demons once again with a renewed zeal and boundless enthusiasm.?

I could go on and on, but I guess I may end up telling the whole story. Go ahead, watch it if you can, and find your own "14 peaks". May this new year 2022 bring more opportunities in your way, may you embody the true human spirit, may you win over any obstacle that comes in your way, may you inspire others, may you break all the shackles and really achieve your "Project Possible". Best wishes!