All right. I think failure is one of my fears in climbing, because I've been climbing for quite some time,

and the expectation of sending something harder than most is quite daunting sometimes.

But it challenges me as well. So failure makes me a better person, and that's what I love it, the most,

about just not only climbing, but in life in general. It's rad.

My name is Kathy and you're listening to for The Love of Climbing Podcast. This podcast is brought to you

by DirtBag Climers based out of Atlanta, Georgia. A few years ago I started a blog to let my mom know

that I was still alive. I hit the road for 12 months and I shared a few

stories, some of them happy and some of them not so happy. This podcast is kind of like that,

except these are your stories. The difficult things can be hard to talk about because, well,

they're hard, but I think that they're also worth sharing. It can be scary to admit that

you don't have it all figured out, but sharing the complicated and imperfect parts of our lives

sends this message to everyone around us that life is made up of highs and lows rather than just a

highlight reel of best moments. One aspect of climbing is letting go and putting it

all out there in order to reach the top. Much like in life we wind up advertising to

the world, here I am, this is me, here is a shortcoming, a failure, a weakness, and then

we pray that we aren't judged and ask to be accepted.

We all have these stories that go untold, but to use them to make a difference in the world,

to transform ourselves, to broaden our perspective, it's brave, like attempting a bold climb,

and maybe it will change somebody else's perspective too.

When we show up as we really are, whether intentional or not, we create a community built on trust and empathy.

There's value and struggle in choosing vulnerability, and sometimes we don't always see it right away.

But my hope is that sharing these stories will create some new connections.

...