True Strength

Weekly wisdom to level up your creative life in 3 minutes, for free.

A SHORT STORY

Seven years ago, I had the opportunity to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro with some close friends.

While I could write about many lessons from that experience, one story that came to mind this week happened on the day of our summit.

At midnight, in -10 degree weather, we climbed the final 4,000 feet to the top and returned to base camp. By the time I got back to our starting point, it had been 10 hours, and I was exhausted.

Immediately, I was met by one of our porters, who offered to take my bag.

At first, I refused. “Don’t worry, I’ve got it,” I told him.

He turned to me, and I’ll never forget what he said: “We are together.”

I nodded, let him take my bag, and immediately felt better.

To tell you the truth, it took more strength to accept help in that moment than it did to climb the mountain.

It dawned on me: true strength comes from the people around you. So many people both physically and mentally climb daily mountains with us.

In fact, there is a great African proverb that says it beautifully:

"If you want to go fast, go alone.

If you want to go far, go together."

One of the lessons I am constantly reminded of is that each individual is climbing their own mountain. And while there are many days when you might have to do it alone, I am always humbled by how far you can get when you truly show up together.

Where in your life do you need to accept a bit more help? Where in your life can you give another some help?

A CREATIVE TOOL

If you've heard about the fake robocalls used in the New Hampshire election last week, you'll understand that deepfakes and AI technology are making it increasingly difficult to distinguish between what is AI-generated and what is not.

When I encountered the digital avatar technology below, I was amazed. I immediately created my own, typed the message I wanted it to convey, had it translated into Russian, and sent it to my girlfriend. AND IT WAS PRETTY FLAWLESS.

Click here to create your own.

A PIECE OF ART

“Intimate Invitation” by David Whyte

originally published in Still Possible

You forget

how, even when

you are barely

mobile,

even when

you feel bereft

of any horizon,

and even when

without faith, 

you feel held back

and afraid to move

even a little,

you can still be like 

the beauty 

we see in winter ice,

just

beginning to

break and flow.

You forget

how you 

can still see so clearly

the brave outline

of a single leaf.

How the stream

of clouds in the sky

can run

right through you,

and the sun on your skin

seems to pass 

right through 

to some 

inner complexion.

And because 

after all this time

you live, and have lived

for so long without faith

in your own joys

and your own grief,

you live daily,

saying ‘love’

as if it were 

still far away.

But come here now,

into the arms 

of the waiting world,

put down 

that heavy burden

you have carried so long,

and rest 

from the hard, 

every day labour

of not hurting,

or not feeling, 

or not hearing, 

or not saying 

or seeing.

Stop keeping

the tears at bay.

Give it all up, 

just come home.

Grateful,

Michael