Are you ready to scale your business in a way that's aligned with your soul and profitable? I'm Kc Rossi of business and leadership coach. I've been a full-time entrepreneur for 30 years and love business. I help conscious leaders increase their impact and optimize their lives. Join me each week for tips and deep conversations on cultivating confidence, increasing your visibility.
Elevating your vibration and leading with purpose without burning out.
Hello, and welcome. Welcome back to women developing brilliance, this spirit of business. I am forever inspired when I see ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Those who refuse to hum, along with the status quo and continue to push their personal boundaries in pursuit of happiness. And excellence. I recently enjoyed a documentary called the alpinists and it was a story about Marc-André Leclerc.
And he was a 23-year-old Canadian rock climber who made history as a free soloist. So more on that after, but I was really inspired to pull out 11 ways to approach life with wit and grit. After watching this documentary now, to me, this movie was so much more about. But just being a documentary on a rock climber, it was a story of a remarkable human who beat to his own drum and radically inspired others along his mind-blowing journey.
Now I am always looking for lessons and inspiration. I kind of make a game out of it and this experience didn't disappoint. So let's jump into it. Here are 11 inspiring ways to approach life with wit and grit. So number one is about knowing yourself and building your life accordingly. I think many of us try to fit in some sort of box, whether it is from the model of the world, we were taught by our parent's, society's influence or self-imposed.
The innate need to fit in. I think it breeds this unspoken way that the masses can form whether it fits our personalities or not. As soon as this film began, you got a sense that Marc-André Leclerc beat to his own drum and had no concern for other's judgment and no interest in conforming. He built his life around what he truly desired and lived it in a way that.
So apparently in alignment now breaking paradigms I think is often reserved for visionaries, but any of us can do it. And it's really about creating our own set of rules and not being run by other's expectations really? Like what would it be like if our framework was really just to follow our own heart?
I mean, I don't know about you, but I, for one have my hand raised for that kind of thing. Number two is be self-reliant. Now, when you think of self-reliance, what comes up for you? To me, I think of relying on my knowledge and skills being independent and capable. Mark Andre takes us to the next level. His preferred way to scale some of the toughest mountains is free soloing.
Now I knew nothing about rock climbing before watching this movie. So for the curious, the meaning of free solo or free soloist is a climate in which a climber uses no artificial aids for support and has no rope or any other safety equipment. Just in case, right. Just as a safety net. So to me, this is the epitome of being self-reliant and trusting not only your powers and resources, but you have to tap into your intuition as well.
Now for Marc each move had to be calculated and precise because there wasn't any room for error. He was living out his deepest desire and believing he had everything within him to realize his dream. Hopefully, we can catch a spark of that inspiration. Number three is to live simply. Now I've been a fan of simple living for decades, and I have to say it is difficult, you know, as the years go by, if you don't stay intentional just to accumulate stuff.
So it is a forever mindful practice for sure. But I was struck by the consistent theme that Marc-André adopted simplicity. Over and over again, at one point he actually was living under a stairwell. I mean, you see him often with this little pup 10 on some of his climbs and all kinds of conditions. I often thought I can't believe he's not dying of hypothermia because some of these places that he had pitched his tent, like just basically in air on the side of a cliff, it was just amazing.
And they actually even joked around it when he got a girlfriend, that she dressed up his little homeless workaround, which was under that stairwell with a decorative tapestry. Which I thought was super cute. So his way was extremely minimalistic. He would bring only what he needed and then often cut that in half.
And one of the most difficult climbs on his second go, he chose to not bring overnight gear or extra food in order to pack as light as possible. To accomplish the mission of sending one of his climbs. It was the Torre Egger climb which is a mountain range in Southern Patagonia, basically an ice field in South America.
I often, when I think about living simply and simple living, I think back to a quote that my spiritual teacher used to say, which was "simple, living is high living." And I believe in that truth, number four is be grateful. Now we have. All heard the power of gratitude at this point.
In fact, since I've been practicing mindful gratitude for at least a solid year. Now I can say that my Headspace has become more calm and my heart more peaceful. Now there was a gentle sense of gratitude and joy. When you kind of experienced mark Andre's life and in one of the interviews he was asked, what kind of diet that he preferred. And he replied that you have to enjoy your food.
Like it's the last meal when you are setting off to the mountains, because it very well could be. He lived with a ton of zest and what really appeared to be gratitude and motion. And in my opinion, Number five is quiet. The noise, just like simplicity and minimalism and necessity for focus is quieting the noise.
Now, many of you know, I took a digital detox for three weeks, starting in December. And I can't tell you how it literally cleared emotional and mental cobwebs. It was absolutely unbelievable. It's something that I'm going to be doing. I don't know. I may even do it once a quarter. It was very valuable and it brought up a lot of different things that I probably.
If I was distracted, I wouldn't have had the opportunity for that kind of reflection and Marc-André chose to not bring radios or phones with him on his clients. So he could be one with the mountains and the elements. In fact, the film directors even showed frustration at times, trying to keep track of the elusive climber, even buying him.
Cell phone. So he could keep them in the loop of his climbs, which he failed to use. And he also resisted film crews on his solo climbs because he said if other people were around, it really wasn't going to be. Doing something alone or solo. So I'm curious, where can you implement the minimal distraction for maximum experience, way of being in your life?
I'm going to ask you that again, because it is a different concept. And one, when we don't offer the. Ability, we don't give ourselves that opportunity to quiet the noise. We can literally just be running down the river and, and falling prey to our own routine. So this is something that you can press pause and journal on now.
Or you can just look in the show notes and reflect on it later. But my question to you is where can you implement the minimal distraction for maximum experience, way of being in your room? I think it's a fun question. All right. Number six is ditch overthinking. I don't know about you, but I have gone round and round on topics in my life.
Many times unnecessarily overthinking is draining and oftentimes causes you to make stuff up, which is not helpful at. Now, one thing I appreciated about Marc-André's style is how organic. He was many times he wouldn't even map out his climbs even on the largest of high mountains. So he would be forced to be in the moment.
He actually was diagnosed with ADHD and he said, when he climbs, it was a time when it silenced the noise in his own mind. And allowed him to just be one-pointed and focused. So I think that that's amazing and he would figure out these climbs many times on the fly without really even mapping it out. It would just be him and his gear for the very first time on that mountain.
Now, most of us aren't in life and death situations like he was. So to me, my takeaway is to be present. And trust my reaction. Something that I think would really benefit all of us. Number seven is persevere. Now the power of perseverance can never be underestimated. The try and try again. Attitude allows winners to rise to the top.
You have probably heard that the only way you fail is to. And Marc-André showed perseverance over and over again. He was determined to set and achieve his goals and really had an undying energy and fortitude. I'm a tourist. I know a little bit about perseverance I east Auburn. And I think actually that that trait has helped me make a to year 30.
One of being an honored. Number eight is reach new Heights. Now, Marc-André reached literal new Heights by soaring. Some of the highest mountains. He actually had solo a sense on 2 of the highest peaks in BC:. Asperity and Serra V - both over 12,000 feet high. And emperor face Mt Robson I believe it was called both over 12,000 feet and one of the largest ones was emperor's face.
On Mt. Robson standing at thirty nine hundred and fifty four meters, which is really mind blowing, absolutely mind blowing. It's the tallest peak in the Canadian Rockies. I think part of this reaching new Heights. Concept or approach is becoming that class of one. When you are constantly pushing yourself to reach new Heights, it is easy to see how you will eventually be that class of one.
Now in a business sense, it's not enough to just be one of your field any longer. I really feel as our competition increases pretty much across the board that we must master our. In order to have a sustainable business in order to have a level of success that we desire. Now, Marc-Andre made the first solo winter ascent of Tory agar.
That was that beautiful peak in Patagonia in Argentina. That one was 26, 85 in meters, which I think when I Googled that, I think it was almost 13,000 feet when I converted meters. Two feet, which again, you have to imagine this is without ropes. This is without any kind of safety net. This is just one human individual and a couple of ice picks and a teeny little backpack.
It is absolutely incredible. In fact, I could barely watch the footage of this awe-inspiring accomplishment after accomplishment, after accomplishment. I mean, I was holding my breath through so much of the document. One of the clips. He was just like changing his footwear mid climb because a lot of the times the terrain was just so varied from rough terrain to ice, to snow.
I mean, he would be climbing until his fingers blood. It was unbelievable. He would be dangling from the high cliff with such composure and such grace and absolutely no fear. I mean, just chill. Super cool. Number nine is make up your own. I loved that Marc-André was not trying to be a rule breaker, but in the process of following his own path, didn't follow any rules.
Usually when someone is approached to be the star in their feature film, they are elated. They plug into all the necessary things to increase PR and the whole shebang and not Marc-André. In fact, he was noticeably uncomfortable sitting for press releases and photoshoots, oftentimes blowing them off so he could do what he loves.
And what he was called to do, which was climb. Now, I'm not saying be a rule breaker for the heck of it or disrespect other people's time, but there is something to be said for having a passion so deep and a calling so loud that it's undeniable and the only option is to follow it. There's something very impressive and special about that.
Number 10. Is be humble for a long while. Marc-André was flying very low under the radar, despite scaling some of the toughest mountains alone. Very few people knew about him once he started gaining recognition. He seemed unfazed and humble. His peers remarked that he was a one of a kind and individual's individual kind carefree and laid back.
He was not about name and fame. He had a deep reverence for nature, the mountains and the people that he connected with along. Super cool. Number 11 is leave a legacy. Now creating an impact that lasts long after you leave. The physical world is powerful. Most of the clients that I support desire to leave a legacy, they want to be known for creating a positive ripple in the world.
And when we hear leave a legacy, I think sometimes we think of needing to break a record or do something that has a worldwide effect, but as leaders even influencing. A small group of people is radical, is powerful. Marc-André left his mark on the world, his gentle soul and fierce determination to challenge himself is beyond inspiring, not only for the climbing world, but beyond I know myself, like I am just deeply touched in move and I want to become a better person because I have seen the story of mark Andre Leclerc so I highly recommend this.
These are 11 ways that I pulled out from the film that illustrated courage and resolve. If you notice more nuggets of inspiration, let me know. I would love to hear from you to keeping our eyes open, strengthening our personal character and living our heart's desire until next week, my friends breathe joy.
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