Warning: Playing outside can cause bruised arms, scraped knees, stubbed toes, dirty hands, stained clothing, muddy shoes. You will get wet when it rains, cold when temperatures are low, and hurt when you fall. Some people may require band-aids, ice packs, or loving arms to hold them as they cry.
 
Life is one huge adventure for those who aren’t afraid of getting dirty. There are many places to explore, limitations to discover, and life lessons to learn. If we don’t learn them as children, then our road ahead will be hampered.
 
Do you ever look back on your own childhood and feel grateful for the experiences you had and the lessons you learned when you were younger? You did not become the strong person you are today in spite of the challenges you faced, but rather because of them.
 
I found it humorous, if not annoying, when my father would say, “when I was your age, I had to walk 5 miles to school.” My typical response was to roll my eyes, as that was what all old people said. These days I catch myself thinking and saying some of the same things!
 
In reality, every generation thinks the next generation has it easier and aren’t as capable of dealing with hardships as they were. This has been going on for 2,000 years!
(Check out this article: Proof That People Have Always Complained About Young Adults 
 
The more I consider the implications related this line of thinking, I think what we are really saying is that we are grateful for the challenges we had to face when we were younger and the leaders who provided encouragement and opportunities for me to do things for myself. This includes parents, teachers, and coaches.
 
Facing Challenges
I typically set up a number of ropes during a climbing event, each presenting different challenges for the climber.
 
If your climbing rope is away from branches and hangs unimpeded from the top anchor point to the ground, your primary challenge will be dealing with your height above the ground and associated fears.
 
By placing ropes so they hang near branches, you will face the challenge of maneuvering past the branch. The closer the rope is to the branch, the more difficult it is to climb around it.
 
At one of our climbs this past summer, a young climber was climbing one of the more challenging rope routes of the day.
 
The rope the young climber was on hung against a branch. With her weight on the rope, the rope rubbed snuggly against the branch above her head. Since her ultimate goal was to reach the top of the rope, well above this lower branch, she was going to have to get herself around it.
 
Since the climbing knot slides up the rope that ran against the branch, she would need to pull the rope away from the branch in order to slide the knot around and above the branch. Until the knot was pulled away from the branch, there was a pinch point.
 
In trying to get past the branch, she got her hand pinched between the rope and the branch. Ouch! She tried again. After a few attempts and just as many scratches on her fingers, she was beginning to get frustrated.
 
After providing her with a few calming and encouraging words, she took a moment to analyze the challenge. Looking back up at the knot and impeding branch, she considered an alternative strategy that could potentially get her around the branch.
 
Taking time to reassess the situation trying out an alternative technique was all she needed to figure out how she could overcome what seemed to be an insurmountable challenge.
 
While her goal that day was to reach the top of that rope, the value of the climb happened along the way, and required a few scraped knuckles. She enjoyed her view of at the top, but she felt empowered and more self-confident because she was able to work past that lower branch.
 
I am confident that the lesson she learned in the tree that day will stick with her as she faces challenges in school and work in her years ahead.
 
Even more important, I hope she has the opportunity to encounter similar challenges often, for that is what will make her stronger and better prepared for what lays ahead.